e 

ite 

M(o8 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

•fr 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


A 

GENERAL  VIEW 

OF    THE 

UNITED    STATES; 

COMPRISING,   ALSO, 

A  DESCRIPTION  OF  EACH  INDIVIDUAL  STATE  AND 
TERRITORY  IN  THE'UNION; 

TO  WHICH  ARE   ADDED, 

VARIOUS  TABULAE  STATEMENTS, 

COMPREHENDING  AGGREGATES  OF  THE 

POPULATION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

AT  DIFFERENT  PERIODS,  AS  WELL  AS 

IN  THE  YEAR  1840. 

TABLES  OF  THE  MINING,  AGRICULTURAL,  MANUFACTURING,  AND 
COMMERCIAL  INDUSTRY  OF  THE  UNION; 

ALSO,   OF  ITS 

CANALS,  RAIL-ROADS,  COLLEGES,  RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS,  ETC. 
BY  S.  AUGUSTUS   MITCHELL. 


PHILADELPHIA. 
PUBLISHED  BY  S.  AUGUSTUS  MITCHELL, 

N.  E.  CORNER  OP  MARKET  AND  SEVENTH  STS. 
1846. 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1846,  by 

H.   N.   BURROUGHS, 
in  the  clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PREFACE. 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  rapid  growth  of  the  American  Republic  in  extent  and  population,  and  the 
distinguished  position  it  has  assumed  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  render  an 
acquaintance  with  the  geography  of  its  various  states  and  territories  so  important, 
that  no  one  can,  without  the  imputation  of  ignorance,  be  destitute  to  any  extent 
of  a  knowledge  of  what  is  becoming  every  day  better  understood,  and  of  which 
the  means  and  the  materials  are  constantly  on  the  increase.  It  is,  doubtless, 
incumbent  on  every  individual  to  become  familiar,  as  far  as  practicable,  with  the 
geography,  resources,  and  condition  of  the  country  of  which  he  is  a  citizen : 
more  especially  he  who  exercises  the  right  of  suffrage  should,  to  the  extent  that 
his  means  will  permit,  obtain  a  knowledge  of  the  character  and  details  of  the 
government  of  which  he  may  with  propriety  be  called  one  of  the  joint  sove 
reigns,  and  for  the  proper  conduct  of  the  administration  of  which  he  is  indirectly 
responsible. 

A  perusal  of  the  following  pages  will  be  found  to  supply  a  large  amount  of 
valuable  information,  concisely  stated  in  comparatively  a  small  space,  and  to 
impart  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  physical  features,  population,  produc 
tions,  resources,  trade,  and  improvement  of  all  parts  of  the  Union.  For  fami 
lies  it  is  well  calculated  as  a  compendious  reading-book ;  and  for  scholars,  whose 
ideas  of  geography  are  derived  from  some  of  the  various  treatises  that  are  usually 
studied  in  the  public  and  private  schools  of  the  Union,  it  will  impart  a  more 
extended  and  enlarged  view  of  that  important  science. 

The  geographical  description  comprises  a  general  account  of  the  Union,  with 
its  Executive  government,  Judiciary,  Public  Lands,  Army,  Navy,  &c. ;  followed 
by  a  special  delineation  of  all  the  different  states,  including  Florida  and  Texas, 
as  well  as  the  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Indian,  Missouri,  and  Oregon  Territories — 
representing  their  position,  soil,  minerals,  agriculture,  products,  manufactures, 
commerce,  religious  denominations,  cities,  towns,  &c. ;  all  derived  from  the  best 
authorities,  and  brought  down  to  the  present  time.  Besides  which,  there  are 
a  number  of  valuable  statistical  tables,  comprehending  an  aggregate  of  the  num 
bers  of  the  different  classes  of  the  inhabitants,  and  their  pursuits, — the  compara 
tive  numbers  of  the  population  at  different  periods,  besides  lists  of  the  universi 
ties  and  colleges,  and  other  literary  and  scientific  institutions,  —  the  principal 
canals  and  rail-roads,  numbers  of  the  individuals  attached  to  the  different 
religious  societies  in  the  country,  &c.  The  whole  forming  a  mass  of  facts, 
interesting  to  men  of  business  and  students  of  geography,  as  well  as  to  the 
public  generally. 

Philadelphia,  April,  1846. 


UNITED  STATES. 


UNITED    STATES. 

*.*  **  *  * 

THE  UNITED  STATES  are  the  most  interesting  and  important  division  of  the 
western  continent  They  are  distinguished  for  the  excellence  of  their  govern 
ment,  the  rapid  increase  of  the  population,  and  for  the  intelligence,  industry,  and 
enterprise  of  the  inhabitants.  They  occupy  the  most  valuable  and  productive 
portion  of  North  America,  and  rank  amongst  the  most  powerful  commercial  and 
wealthy  nations  of  the  globe. 

The  United  States  are  situated  between  24°  20'  and  54°  40'  N.  latitude,  and 
longitude  17°  E.,  and  125°  W.  longitude,  extending  through  29  degrees  of  lati 
tude  and  58  degrees  of  longitude,  and  comprise  a  superficial  area  of  upwards  of 
2,300,000  square  miles.  The  frontier  line  has  a  length  of  10,000  miles,  of  which 
about  3600  are  sea-coast,  and  1200  lake-coast.  A  line  drawn  across  from  the  At 
lantic  to  the  Pacific,  through  the  centre,  is  about  2500  miles  in  length. 

So  vast  a  region  of  course  includes  a  great  variety  of  surface,  soil,  and  climate. 
It  abounds  in  navigable  rivers,  and  a  large  proportion  of  it  is  susceptible  of  culti 
vation,  and  is  of  a  quality  calculated  to  repay  the  labour  bestowed  upon  it,  more 
than  almost  any  other  region  of  the  same  extent  in  the  world :  but  a  small  portion 
of  its  surface  is  occupied  by  mountains,  which,  from  their  height  or  ruggedness, 
forbid  all  attempts  to  render  them  productive  in  the  means  of  subsistence  to  man. 
There  are  no  great  deserts,  and  few  barrens ;  nothing  like  the  vast  sterile  plains 
which  exist  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  The  basins  of  the  rivers  are  exceed 
ingly  productive :  that  of  the  Mississippi,  including  the  Missouri,  is  undoubtedly 
the  finest  valley  on  the  globe.  It  is  abundantly  watered  by  streams,  which  not 
only  give  fertility  to  their  borders,  but  are  ready  to  waft  the  gifts  of  the  soil  to  the 
ocean,  and  bring  back  to  the  inhabitants  the  products  of  all  other  climes.  The 
soil  returns  an  ample  harvest  for  all  that  is  planted  in  it,  and  the  climate  is  favour 
able  to  almost  every  production  of  the  earth  that  can  sustain  life  or  increase  its 
luxuries. 

Though  lying  within  the  temperate  zone,  the  United  States  embrace  a  great 
variety  of  climate.  In  the  northern  parts,  the  winters  are  long  and  severe ;  snow 
often  falls  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  feet,  and  the  cold  is  so  piercing  as  to 
oblige  the  inhabitants  to  make  very  diligent  provision  against  it.  Spring  returns 
here  in  April,  and  in  summer  the  heat  is  great.  In  the  southern  parts  of  the 
country,  snow  is  seldom  seen,  ice  is  rarely  formed  in  the  rivers,  and  those  fruits 
which  shrink  from  a  northern  climate,  and  flourish  only  in  warm  regions,  are 
scattered  over  the  soil.  In  Georgia,  the  inhabitants  may  collect  the  figs  which 
grow  before  the  windows,  and  may  load  their  tables  with  oranges,  lemons,  and 
other  exquisite  fruits  that  grow  in  their  gardens  and  groves,  while  in  parts  of 
Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  Vermont,  even  peaches  will  not  flourish.  Between 
these  extremities,  as  in  Virginia,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  and  Illinois,  there  is  a  re 
gion  adapted  to  the  wine-grape,  which  thrives  best  in  places  removed  from  both 
the  torrid  and  frigid  zones. 

The  United  States  are  intersected  by  two  principal  and  two  subordinate  ranges 
of  mountains,  the  Rocky  and  Alleghany,  the  Ozark  and  Green  Mountains.  The 
Rocky  Mountain,  or  Chippewayan  range,  forms  the  great  dividing  ridge  of  North 
America,  separating  the  waters  which  flow  in  opposite  directions,  towards  the 
great  oceans  which  bound  the  opposite  sides  of  the  continent.  They  are  situated 
at  a  medium  distance  of  about  600  miles  from  the  Pacific ;  the  highest  rise  above 
the  line  of  perpetual  congelation,  being  estimated  at  about  12,000  feet  in  height. 

The  Alleghany,  or  Appalachian  range,  runs  in  a  north-easterly  direction  from 
the  northern  part  of  Alabama  to  New-York,  stretching  along  in  uniform  ridges, 
at  the  distance  of  from  250  to  80  miles  from  the  sea-coast,  and  following  its  gene 
ral  direction.  It  occupies  in  breadth  a  space  of  from  60  to  120  miles,  and  sepa 
rates  the  waters  which  run  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  from  those  which  flow  into 
the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries.  The  highest  elevation  in  this  range,  and  the 


UNITED  STATES. 


most  prominent  in  the  Atlantic  States,  is  Black  Mountain,  in  the  western  part  of 
North  Carolina :  it  is  6476  feet  in  height. 

The  Green  Mountains  extend  from  Connecticut,  through  Massachusetts  and 
Vermont,  to  Canada,  dividing  the  Atlantic  rivers  from  those  of  Lake  Champlain 
and  the  St.  Lawrence.  Some  of  the  peaks  of  this  range  attain  considerable  ele 
vation.  In  New  Hampshire  and  Maine,  are  found  many  considerable  peaks,  whicli 
are  not  connected  with  any  systematic  range,  but  are  scattered  in  detached 
groups.  The  White  Mountains,  in  New  Hampshire,  are  the  most  elevated  in 
New  England.  Mount  Katahdin,  or  Ktaadin,  near  the  centre  of  the  state  of 
Maine,  is  the  highest  in  that  state.  The  view  from  its  summit  is  fine  and  varied, 
and  extends  over  80  or  100  miles.  The  other  principal  heights  in  Maine  are 
Wassataquoik  Mountain,  Mount  Abraham,  Mount  Bigelow,  Speckled  Mountain. 

The  Ozark  Mountains  extend  from  Texas,  through  the  western  part  of  Arkan 
sas,  into  the  lead-mine  region  of  Missouri.  Their  general  direction  is  nearly 
similar  to  that  of  the  Alleghany  range,  and  their  altitude  is  supposed  to  be  about 
2000  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  territory  of  the  United  States  is  washed  by  three  seas,  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
on  the  east,  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  south,  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west. 
The  principal  bays  and  sounds  on  the  Atlantic  border,  are  Passamaquoddy  Bay, 
which  lies  between  the  state  of  Maine  and  the  British  province  of  New  Bruns 
wick  ;  Massachusetts  Bay,  between  Cape  Ann  and  Cape  Cod,  on  the  coast  of 
Massachusetts ;  Long  Island  Sound,  between  Long  Island  and  the  coast  of  Con 
necticut  ;  Delaware  Bay,  between  Cape  May  and  Cape  Henlopen,  which  sepa 
rates  New  Jersey  from  Delaware ;  Chesapeake  Bay,  which  communicates  with 
the  ocean  between  Cape  Charles  and  Cape  Henry,  and  extends  in  a  northern  di 
rection  for  200  miles,  through  the  states  of  Virginia  and  Maryland ;  and  Albe- 
marle  and  Pamplico  Sounds,  on  the  coast  of  North  Carolina.  In  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  the  principal  bays  are  Chatham  Bay,  near  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
peninsula  of  Florida ;  Appalachie  Bay ;  and  Mobile  Bay,  in  Alabama.  In  the 
Pacific,  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  is  the  most  important  inlet  on  the  western  coast  of 
the  United  States.  It  separates  Qudra  and  Vancouver's  Island  from  the  main 
land,  and  is  about  120  miles  in  length  from  north  to  south,  and  from  5  to  20  miles 
in  width. 

The  great  lakes  Superior,  Huron,  Erie,  and  Ontario,  not  being  altogether  in  the 
United  States,  have  been  described  elsewhere.  The  boundary  between  the  Bri 
tish  and  American  territories  passes  through  their  centre,  allotting  about  an  equal 
share  of  their  vast  waters  to  each  nation.  Lake  Michigan  is  wholly  within  the 
territory  of  the  United  States.  It  is  connected  with  Huron  by  the  Strait  of 
Michillimackinac,  and  is  about  320  miles  in  length,  and  from  55  to  60  miles  wide, 
with  an  area  of  16,200  square  miles.  The  country  around  the  head  of 'this  lake 
is  settling  rapidly ;  and  the  mildness  of  the  climate,  the  excellence  of  the  soil, 
and  the  probable  speedy  junction  of  its  waters  with  those  of  the  Mississippi,  will 
shortly  fill  this  portion  of  the  west  with  population  and  wealth.  By  the  St.  Clair 
River,  of  35  miles  course,  the  waters  of  Huron  rapidly  descend  to  the  St.  Clair,  a 
shallow  lake  about  90  miles  in  circuit.  Detroit  River  connects  Lakes  St.  Clair  and 
Erie.  The  other  lakes  of  any  magnitude  in  the  United  States  are  Champlain  in 
New- York,  Winnipiseogee  in  New  Hampshire,  and  Moose  Head  in  Maine. 

Lake  Champlain  separates  the  States  of  New  York  and  Vermont,  and  is  in 
extent  140  miles  nearly  north  and  south.  It  is  connected  with  the  Hudson  river 
by  the  Champlain  canal,  and  with  the  St.  Lawrence  river  by  the  Sorelle,  or  Riche 
lieu.  Large  and  elegant  steam-boats  ply  daily  between  Whitehall  and  St.  John's, 
Lower  Canada,  which  touch  at  the  principal  places,  and  numerous  travellers  are 
constantly  passing  and  repassing  this  route  during  the  season  of  navigation. 

Lake  Winnipiseogee  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  sheets  of  water  in  New 
England.  It  is  very  irregular  in  form,  and  contains  a  number  of  islands,  some  of 
which  are  cultivated.  The  lake  is  about  22  miles  long,  and  from  1  to  8  miles 
wide. 

Moose  Head  Lake  is  situated  in  the  central  parts  of  Maine.  It  is  of  an  irre 
gular  form,  about  38  miles  in  length,  and  from  2  to  12  wide.  The  main  branch 


UNITED  STATES. 


of  Kennebeck  river  flows  from  it.  Around  it,  at  various  distances,  are  situated 
some  of  the  highest  mountains  in  Maine. 

The  Rivers  which  water  the  territory  of  the  United  States  are  numerous,  and 
some  of  them  among  the  most  important  in  the  world.  No  portion  of  the  globe 
possesses  greater  facilities  for  inland  navigation  and  trade,  or  is  more  generally 
intersected  with  large  and  navigable  streams.  They  may  be  divided  into  four 
great  classes :  1st.  The  streams  which  rise  on  the  east  side  of  the  Alleghany 
mountains,  and  flow  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean ;  2d.  Those  south  of  the  Alleghany 
range,  which  discharge  themselves  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  3d.  The  Mississippi 
and  its  wide  tributaries,  which  drain  the  waters  of  the  vast  valley  included  be 
tween 'the  Rocky  and  Alleghany  ranges;  and  4th.  The  rivers  which,  rising  on  the 
western  declivity  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  direct  their  course  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

The  Penobscot  is  the  largest  river  that  has  its  course  wholly  in  the  State  of 
Maine.  It  joins  the  Penobscot  Bay  between  the  towns  of  Penobscot  and  Prospect. 
It  is  na-vigable  for  vessels  of  considerable  burden  to  Bangor,  where  navigation  and 
the  tide  terminate.  Large  quantities  of  timber  are  exported  from  the  sea-ports 
on  the  river  and  bay.  The  course  of  this  river  is  near  300  miles. 

Kennebeck  River  is,  next  to  the  Penobscot,  the  largest  in  Maine.  It  is  the 
outlet  of  Moose  Head  lake,  the  most  considerable  in  the  State.  It  is  navigable 
for  vessels  of  150  tons  to  Hallo  well,  40  miles  from  the  sea.  Its  whole  course  is 
about  230  miles. 

Connecticut  River,  the  most  important  stream  in  New  England,  rises  in  the 
highlands  separating  the  United  States  from  Canada,  and  flows  into  Long  Island 
Sound,  after  a  course  of  upwards  of  400  miles.  It  is  navigable  to  Hartford  for 
large  steam-boats,  and  vessels  of  8  feet  draught ;  also  for  small  steam-boats  to 
Wells  river,  in  Vermont,  more  than  200  miles  above  Hartford.  The  head  waters 
of  this  river  are  elevated  1600  feet  above  Long  Island  Sound.  Its  banks  present 
to  the  eye  every  variety  of  scenery ; — magnificent  mountains  and  hills,  delightful 
valleys  and  meadows,  unsurpassed  in  beauty  and  fertility,  and  many  of  the  most 
beautiful  towns  and  villages  in  New  England. 

The  Hudson  River  rises  west  of  Lake  Champlain  in  numerous  branches,  and 
pursuing  nearly  a  straight  southerly  course  of  about  320  miles,  unites  with  the 
Atlantic  below  the  city  of  New  York.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  rivers 
in  the  United  States.  The  navigation  and  commerce  on  its  waters  are  very  great, 
and  annually  increasing.  By  means  of  the  Erie  and  Champlain  canals,  it  is  con 
nected  with  Lake  Erie  and  the  St.  Lawrence  river.  It  is  navigable  for  ships  of 
large  burden  to  Hudson  city,  and  for  the  largest  steam-boats  to  Albany  and  Troy. 

Delaware  River  rises  in  New  York,  and  flowing  south,  separates  Pennsylvania 
from  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  and  falls  into  Delaware  bay,  after  a  course  of 
about  310  miles,  below  New  Castle.  It  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  the  greatest 
burden  to  Philadelphia,  and  for  small  craft  to  the  head  of  the  tide  at  Trenton, 
above  which  city  it  is  navigable  100  miles  for  boats  of  8  or  9  tons. 

Susquehannah  River,  one  of  the  largest  in  Pennsylvania,  is  formed  by  its  north 
and  west  branches,  which  unite  at  Northumberland.  Its  north,  or  longest  branch, 
rises  in  Otsego  lake,  New  York,  from  whence  to  its  mouth  is  about  460  miles. 

The  Potomac  River  rises  in  two  branches  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and 
forms,  during  its  course  to  Chesapeake  bay,  the  boundary  between  Virginia  and 
Maryland.  It  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  large  burthen  to  Washington  city.  Its 
junction  at  Harper's  Ferry  with  the  Shenandoah,  is  regarded  as  a  great  curiosity. 
Its  length  is  about  335  miles. 

James  River  pursues  a  course  of  upwards  of  400  miles,  and  unites  with  the 
south  part  of  Chesapeake  Bay  at  Hampton  Roads.  It  is  navigable  for  sloops  to 
Richmond,  where  the  Great  Falls  formerly  presented  an  obstruction,  but  a  canal 
has  been  made  around  them,  and  the  river  is  now  navigable  for  batteaux  230 
miles  above  the  city. 

Savannah  River  separates  South  Carolina  from  Georgia,  and  enters  the  Atlantic 
17  miles  below  Savannah,  to  which  city  it  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  large  bur 
den.  Steam-boats  ascend  the  river  to  Augusta  falls. 


UNITED  STATES. 


Appalachicola,  which  discharges  itself  into  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  in  the 
julf  of  Mexico,  is  formed  by  the  union  of  the  Chattahoochee  and  Flint  rivers. 
Phe  former  is  navigated  to  Columbus  by  steam-boats :  on  its  head-waters  are 
lumerous  gold-mines.  The  Appalachicola  and  Chattahoochee  united,  are  about 
[25  miles  in  length. 

The  Mobile  River  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Alabama  and  Tombeckbee 
ivers,  40  miles  above  Mobile.  The  head-waters  of  the  Alabama  rise  in  the  gold- 
egion  of  Georgia,  not  far  from  the  sources  of  the  Chattahoochee,  and  after  a  south 
west  course  of  near  500  miles,  form  a  junction  with  the  Tombeckbee.  Steam- 
)oats  ascend  to  Montgomery,  a  distance,  by  the  meanders  of  the  rivers,  of  near 
300  miles. 

The  Mississippi  is  the  largest  river  of  North  America,  and  one  of  the  noblest 
n  the  world — watering  a  more  fertile  region,  and  having  a  larger  course  of  unin- 
;errupted  navigation,  than  any  other  known  stream.  Its  course — taken  in  con- 
lexion  with  its  mighty  auxiliary,  the  Missouri — is  estimated  at  4490  miles  in 
ength.  The  space  drained  by  its  waters  is  supposed  to  exceed  1,300,000  square 
niles,  being  upwards  of  two-thirds  of  the  whole  territory  of  the  United  States,  or 
ibout  one  twenty-eighth  part  of  the  terraqueous  surface  bf  the  globe.  In  no  por- 
,ion  of  the  world  has  the  triumph  of  art  over  the  obstacles  of  nature  been  so  com 
pete.  The  introduction  of  steam-navigation  has  been  productive  of  immense 
idvantages,  and  has  been  carried  to  a  greater  extent  than  on  any  other  river. 
Mississippi  proper  rises  west  of  Lake  Superior,  in  a  dreary  and  desolate  region, 
imidst  lakes  and  swamps,  and,  after  pursuing  a  south-east  course  of  about  600 
niles,  reaches  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony,  where  it  descends  perpendicularly  16  feet, 
md  where  are  58  feet  of  rapids.  Thence  it  flows  a  south-easterly,  and  then 
southerly  direction ;  and  after  forming  the  boundary  between  Missouri,  Arkansas 
Perritory,  and  Louisiana,  on  the  west,  and  Illinois,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
Mississippi,  on  the  east,  discharges  its  waters,  through  many  mouths,  into  the 
julf  of  Mexico.  It  is  nearly  3000  miles  long,  and  is  navigable  for  steam-boats  to 
the  falls  of  St.  Anthony.  The  following  are  the  principal  tributaries  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  from  the  west : — The  St.  Peter's,  which  joins  it  at  Fort  Snelling,  is  a 
stream  of  about  400  miles,  flowing  a  south-east  course.  The  Des  Moines,  a  river 

about  400  miles  in  length,  enters  the  Mississippi  about  130  miles  above  the 
Missouri. 

The  Missouri  enters  the  Mississippi  river  about  18  miles  above  St.  Louis,  after 
a  course  of  3217  miles.  Although  it  loses  its  name  at  its  confluence  with  the 
latter,  it  is  much  the  longer  stream  of  the  two ;  but  the  Mississippi,  having  been 
first  discovered  and  explored,  has  retained  its  name  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  This 
error  being  now  past  remedy,  the  Missouri  must  be  considered  as  a  tributary  of 
the  Mississipi.  It  is  formed  of  numerous  branches,  which  rise  among  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  between  the  parallels  of  42°  and  48°  N.  Latitude.  The  most  remote 
are  the  Jefferson,  Madison,  and  Gallatin  rivers.  The  only  obstruction  that  occurs 
to  its  navigation  is  at  the  Great  Falls,  a  distance  of  2575  miles  from  the  Missis 
sippi  Here  the  river  descends  362  feet  in  18  miles :  the  descent  is  by  four  great 
pitches  or  cataracts,  of  98,  19,  49,  and  26  feet,  respectively.  The  width  of  the 
river  is  about  350  yards,  and  the  cataracts  are  considered  to  be,  next  to  those  of 
Niagara,  the  grandest  in  the  world.  About  100  miles  above,  is  the  place  called 
the  Gates  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  river  was  lately  ascended  by  a  steam- 
vessel  300  miles  above  the  Yellow  Stone,  a  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  of  3460  miles. 

The  largest  tributaries  of  the  Missouri  are,  the  Yellow  Stone,  of  1100  miles  in 
length,  the  Platte,  or  Shallow  river,  of  1600  miles  course,  and  the  Kanzas,  of 
1200  miles  in  length.  They  all  rise  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  flow  through 
a  flat  prairie  country,  inhabited  by  a  widely  scattered  Indian  population. 

The  Arkansas  is,  after  the  Missouri,  the  most  considerable  tributary  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  from  the  west.  It  rises  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  its  course  is  com 
puted  to  be  about  2000  miles.  It  enters  the  Mississippi  river  about  540  miles 
below  the  Missouri.  Steam-boats  can  generally  ascend  this  river  to  the  mouth 

13  T 


UNITED  STATE 


of  the  Canadian,  its  largest  tributary,  and  occasionally  to  Cantonment  Gibson,  640 
miles  from  the  Mississippi  river. 

The  Red  River  is  the  first  tributary  stream  of  any  note  which  enters  the  Mis 
sissippi,  in  ascending  from  its  mouth.  It  has  a  course  of  about  1500  miles,  and 
flows  through  immense  prairies  of  a  red  soil. 

The  principal  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi  which  flow  into  it  from  the  east 
ward  are  as  follows  :— 

Chippeway  River,  200  miles  in  length,  enters  the  Mississippi  at  the  lower  end 
of  Lake  Pepin. 

The  Wisconsin  River  joins  the  Mississippi  about  4  or  5  miles  below  the  town 
of  Prairie  du  Chien.  In  part  of  its  course  it  approaches  so  near  the  Fox  River 
of  Green  Bay,  as  to  leave  a  portage  of  only  l£  miles.  It  is  one  of  the  great  natu 
ral  channels  of  communication  between  the  lakes  and  the  Mississippi. 

The  Illinois  River  enters  the  Mississippi  18  miles  above  the  Missouri,  after  a 
course  of  more  than  400  miles.  It  is  near  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide  at  its  mouth, 
and  has  a  remarkably  smooth,  gentle  current. 

The  Ohio  River  is  the  largest  eastern  tributary  of  the  Mississippi.  At  its 
junction,  and  for  100  miles  above,  it  is  as  large  as  the  parent  stream.  This  river, 
from  its  commencement,  affords  the  most  delightful  prospects.  Tributaries  of 
romantic  and  beautiful  character  come  in  almost  at  equal  distances,  as  lateral 
canals.  The  Ohio  is  formed  by  the  union  of  the  Alleghany  and  Monongahela 
rivers  at  Pittsburg.  It  flows  in  a  south-westerly  direction  for  945  miles,  separa 
ting  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  and 
falls  into  the  Mississippi  193  miles  below  the  Missouri.  Its  current  is  gentle, 
and  is  nowhere  broken  by  any  considerable  falls,  except  at  Louisville,  in  Ken 
tucky,  where  the  water  descends  22£  feet  in  2  miles.  This  obstruction  is  now 
obviated  by  the  Louisville  and  Portland  canal,  which  affords  a  passage  to  steam 
boats  of  small  draft,  at  all  seasons,  to  the  upper  parts  of  the  river  at  Pittsburg. 

The  chief  tributaries  of  the  Ohio  are  the  Wabash,  a  fine  navigable  river,  which 
rises  in  the  north-east  part  of  Indiana.  It  is  in  length  about  450  miles. 

The  Cumberland  River  rises  in  the  mountains,  on  the  eastern  boundary  of 
Kentucky.  At  high  water,  it  is  navigable  for  boats  almost  to  its  source,  and  for 
steam-boats  to  Nashville  at  all  seasons. 

Tennessee  River  is  formed  by  the  union  of  several  large  branches,  which 
rising  in  the  mountainous  country  in  western  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  unite 
in  one  in  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville,  enters  the  Ohio  46  miles  above  the  Mississippi, 
and  12  below  the  Cumberland.  Its  entire  course  from  the  source  of  its  longest 
branch,  is  850  miles  distant  from  the  Ohio.  It  is  navigable  for  steam-boats,  in 
most  stages  of  the  water,  to  Florence,  at  the  foot  of  the  Muscle  Shoals.  This  is 
the  most  important  of  all  the  tributaries  of  the  Ohio. 

The  Yazoo,  the  most  southern  of  the  principal  eastern  tributaries  of  the  Mis 
sissippi,  has  a  course  of  240  miles,  and  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Mississippi 
about  12  miles  above  the  Walnut  Hills. 

The  most  considerable  river  on  the  Pacific  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  is  the 
Columbia,  or  Oregon.  Its  head-waters  interlock  with  the  Arkansas,  Rio  del 
Norte,  &c. :  it  is  about  1400  miles  in  length,  its  principal  branches-  are  Lewis's  or 
Saptin  river,  1000  miles  in  extent ;  Clark's  or  Flat  Head  river,  700  mites  long, 
M'Gillivray's,  Okinagan,  &c.  Fort  George  or  Astoria,  Fort  Vancouver,  and 
others,  on  these  waters,  are  trading  establishments  belonging  to  the  British  Hud 
son's  Bay  Company.  Vessels  of  300  tons  may  ascend  the  Columbia,  125  miles; 
and  large  sloops  may  go  up  to  the  head  of  tide,  183  miles  from  the  Ocean. 

Minerals  abound  in  the  United  States  in  great  variety  and  profusion.  Iron  is 
very  generally  diffused,  and  is  very  abundant.  Lead,  limestone,  and  coal  both  of 
the  anthracite  and  bituminous  kind,  abound  in  quantities  supposed  to  be  inex 
haustible,  especially  of  the  former  description.  Gold  has  recently  been  found  to 
a  considerable  amount  in  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama, 
and  Tennessee.  The  most  valuable  mines  are  in  North  Carolina  and  Georgia. 
It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  gold  found  in  the  United  States ;  but  the 
value  of  the  metal  sent  to  the  Mint,  from  1823  to  1836,  was  $4,377,500,  pro- 


UNITED  STATES. 


bably  not  one  half  of  the  produce  for  that  period,  as  large  amounts  of  it  are  sent 
to  Europe  uncoined.  The  lead-mines  of  Missouri,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  are 
said  to  be  the  richest  in  quality  in  the  world ;  and  the  quantity  of  that  metal  ex 
tracted  from  the  ore,  within  the  last  few  years,  has  been  so  great  as  to  exclude 
almost  entirely  the  foreign  article  from  our  markets.  The  annual  produce  of  the 
Missouri  mines  is  estimated  at  5£  million,  and  of  the  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  24 
million  pounds. 

Salt  springs  abound  in  many  parts  of.  the  Union,  and  large  quantities  are  manu 
factured  in  New  York,  Western  Pennsylvania,  Western  Virginia,  Ohio,  and  Illi 
nois  :  it  is  also  made  from  sea-water  in  some  parts  of  New  England.  The  whole 
amount  made  in  1840  was  6,179,174  bushels. 

The  United  States  form  a  federal  republic.  Each  of  the  States  is  independent, 
and  has  the  exclusive  control  of  all  concerns  merely  local ;  but  the  defence  of  the 
country,  the  regulation  of  commerce,  and  all  the  general  concerns^of  the  confede 
racy,  are  committed,  by  the  constitution,  to  a  general  government. 

The  legislative  power  is  vested  in  a  Congress,  consisting  of  a  Senate  and  House 
of  Representatives.  The  Senate  is  composed  of  2  members  from  each  State, 
chosen  every  two  years,  for  a  period  of  six  years,  so  that  one-third  of  the  Senate 
is  renewed  biennially.  The  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  are  chosen 
every  two  years.  Their  number  is  proportioned  to  the  number  of  inhabitants,  and 
the  ratio  has  been  fixed  at  one  for  every  70,680  inhabitants,  three-fifths  of  the 
slaves  being  omitted  in  the  enumeration.  The  House  of  Representatives  repre 
sents  the  people;  the  Senate  represents  the  States. 

The  judiciary  is  composed  of  a  Supreme  Court,  of  one  chief  and  eight  associate 
judges  ;  of  35  District  Courts,  of  one  judge  each,  except  that  seven  of  the  States 
are  divided  into  districts  (New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Alabama,  Missis 
sippi  and  Louisiana,  are  divided  into  two  districts  each,  and  Tennessee  is  divided 
into  three  districts) ;  there  are  9  Circuit  Courts,  composed  of  the  judge  of  the  dis 
trict,  and  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

The  executive  power  is  vested  in  a  President,  who,  together  with  the  Vice- 
President,  is  chosen  for  four  years,  by  electors  from  all  the  States.  The  principal 
subordinate  officers  of  the  executive  department  are  the  Secretaries  of  State,  of 
the  Treasury,  of  War,  and  of  the  Navy,  the  Postmaster-General,  and  the  Attor 
ney-General.  The  President  must  be  a  native-born  citizen,  or  have  been  a  citizen 
at  the  adoption  of  the  constitution,  of  35  years  of  age,  and  have  resided  in  the 
United  States  14  years.  The  present  constitution  of  the  United  States  was 
adopted  in  1739,  and  has  since  been  amended.  It  secures  to  the  people  the  grand 
principles  of  freedom,  liberty  of  conscience  in  matters  of  religion,  liberty  of  the 
press,  trial  by  jury,  and  the  right  of  choosing  and  being  chosen  to  office. 

The  principal  executive  officers  are  the  Secretaries  of  State,  of  the  Treasury,  of 
War,  and  of  the  Navy,  the  Postmaster  General,  and  the  Attorney  General.  They 
are  removable  at  the  will  of  the  President,  and,  with  the  Vice-President,  form  the 
cabinet.  The  Department  of  State  was  created  in  1789.  The  Secretary  conducts 
the  negotiations  with  foreign  powers,  and  corresponds  with  the  public  ministers  of 
the  United  States  abroad,  and  with  those  of  foreign  states  near  the  United  States. 
He  has  the  charge  of  the  United  States. seal,  preserves  the  originals  of  laws  and 
treaties,  and  of  the  public  correspondence  growing  out  of  the  intercourse  between 
the  United  States  and  foreign  nations ;  he  grants  passports  to  American  citizens 
visiting  foreign  countries,  has  the  control  of  the  patent  office,  and  preserves  the 
evidence  of  copy-rights.  There  are  attached  to  the  Department  of  State,  a  Diplo 
matic  Bureau,  a  Consular  Bureau,  a  Home  Bureau,  and  the  Patent  Office. 

The  Treasury  Department  was  created  in  1789.  The  Secretary  superintends 
the  fiscal  concerns  of  the  government;  he  is  required  to  report  to  Congress  annu 
ally  the  state  of  the  finances,  and  recommends  such  measures  as  he  thinks  proper 
for  improving  the  condition  of  the  revenue.  The  Treasury  Department  comprises 
the  offices  of  the  Secretary,  four  Controllers,  ten  Auditors,  the  Register,  the  Trea 
surer,  the  Solicitor  of  the  Treasury,  and  the  Land  Office. 

As  there  is  at  present  no  direct  taxation  by  the  general  government,  the  revenue 
has  arisen  chiefly  from  the  customs  on  imports,  and  from  the  sale  of  the  public 

27 


10  UNITED  STATES. 


lands.  By  these  means  the  national  government  was  enabled,  January  1st,  1837, 
not  only  to  complete  the  payment  of  the  public  debt  contracted  during  two  wars 
with  Great  Britain;  but,  after  reserving  $5,000,000,  they  were  able  to  distribute 
to  the  States  the  sum  of  $37,468,859,.  which,  by  an  act  of  June  23d,  1836,  was 
deposited  with  them  according  to  the  number  of  their  electoral  votes,  liable  to  be 
recalled  in  case  of  necessity,  but  which  will  probably  never  be  recalled.  The 
great  expense  of  the  Indian  war  in  Florida,  and  the  diminution  of  the  customs 
in  consequence  of  commercial  embarrassments,  caused  the  expenses  of  the  govern 
ment  temporarily  to  exceed  the  revenue ;  so  that  a  small  debt  was  contracted, 
amounting,  on  December  1st,  1844,  to  $23,850,673.03. 

The  public  lands  have  recently  been  a  great  source  of  revenue.  These  lands 
have  been  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the  new  States,  or  have  been  derived 
from  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  in  1803,  and  of  Florida  in  1819.  They  are  con 
sidered  as  belonging  to  the  native  tribes  of  Indians  who  inhabit  them,  until  the 
title  has  been  regularly  extinguished  by  purchase  and  treaty.  When  this  is  done, 
they  are  surveyed,  and  sold  at  $1.25  the  acre,  as  the  lowest  price.  This  source 
of  revenue  is  much  less  considerable  than  formerly.  In  1836,  it  amounted  to  the 
large  sum  of  $25,167,000;  but  it  has  now  diminished  to  less  than  $3,000,000 
annually.  The  law  for  the  distribution  of  the  proceeds  among  the  States  has 
been  repealed.  The  revenue  of  the  United  States  for  the  year  ending  July  1st, 
1844,  amounted,  with  a  balance  in  the  treasury  at  the  commencement  of  the  year, 
to  $40,816,207.58,  and  the  expenditure  to  $32,958,827.94;  leaving  a  balance  in 
the  treasury,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1844,  of  $7,857,379.61.  The  United  States  have 
272,645,356  acres  of  public  land  surveyed  and  unsold,  and  much  more  which  is 
not  surveyed. 

The  mint  of  the  United  States  was  established  at  Philadelphia  in  1793;  and, 
in  1838,  branches  were  established  at  Charlotte,  N.  C.,  at  Dahlonega,  Ga.,  and 
at  New  Orleans,  La.  At  the  mint  in  Philadelphia,  the  whole  coinage,  from  the 
commencement  to  the  end  of  the  year  1842,  amounted  to  255,087,171  pieces,  with 
a  value  of  $85,873,052 ;  at  the  branch  of  Charlotte,  162,118  pieces,  with  a  value 
of  $666,030 ;  at  the  branch  of  Dahlonega,  178,534  pieces,  with  a  value  of  $827,- 
638 ;  at  the  branch  of  New  Orleans,  14,179,656  pieces,  with  a  value  of  $3,155,443 ; 
making  a  total  of  269,607,479  pieces,  with  a  total  value  of  $90,522,163. 

On  June  30th,  1844,  there  were  14,103  post-offices  in  the  United  States;  the 
amount  of  transportation  during  the  previous  year  was  35,409,624  miles,  at  a  cost 
of  $2,938,551.  The  expenditure  for  the  year  was  $4,296,867.70;  gross  amount 
of  revenue,  $4,237,285.83.  The  General  Post-Office  is  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  Postmaster-General,  who  has  the  appointment  of  the  postmasters  through 
out  the  country,  and  the  power  of  making  contracts  for  carrying  the  mail. 

The  War  Department  was  created  in  1789.  To  this  department  belongs  the 
direction  and  government  of  the  army  of  the  United  States,  the  erection  of  forti 
fications,  the  execution  of  topographical  surveys,  and  the  superintendence  of  Indian 
affairs.  Attached  to  it  are  a  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs,  Pension  Bureau,  Head- 
Quarters  of  the  Army,  Quarter-Master's  Bureau,  Subsistence  Bureau,  General 
Subsistence,  Pay  Bureau,  Medical  and  Surgical  Bureau,  Engineer  Bureau,  Topo 
graphical  Bureau,  and  Ordnance  Bureau. 

The  Army  of  the  United  States  consisted,  in  1844,  of  2  regiments  of  dragoons, 
4  of  artillery,  and  8  regiments  of  infantry,  containing,  at  the  end  of  the  year  1844, 
8,616  men,  viz.,  dragoons  1,298,  artillery  2,340,  infantry  4,456;  the  whole  being 
under  the  command  of  one  major-general,  and  two  brigadier-generals. 

The  office  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  was  created  in  1798.  The  Department 
consists  of  a  Bureau  of  Docks  and  Navy  Yards,  of  Ordnance  and  Hydrography, 
of  Construction,  Repairs  and  Equipments,  of  Provisions  and  Clothing,  and  of 
Medicines  and  Surgical  Instruments. 

The  Navy  of  the  United  States,  though  on  a  small  scale,  acquired  great  repu 
tation  during  the  last  three  years'  war,  when  the  American  ships  successfully 
encountered  those  of  the  mistress  of  the  ocean.  Much  has  since  been  done,  both 
in  enlarging  the  number  of  vessels,  and  extending  and  constructing  suitable  dock 
yards  ;  but  the  naval  force  is  not  considered  adequate  to  the  exigencies  of  the 


UNITED  STATES.  11 


country.  In  the  year  1844  it  consisted  of  6  ships  of  the  line,  1  razee,  14  frigates, 
21  sloops  of  war,  16  brigs  and  schooners,  3  store-ships,  and  8  steamers,  afloat. 
There  are  on  the  stocks,  in  an  unfinished  state,  4  ships  of  the  line,  3  frigates,  1 
store-ship,  an  iron  steamer  at  Pittsburg,  and  one  at  the  navy-yard  at  Washington, 
to  be  used  as  a  water-tank.  Total,  78. 

•  There  are  eight  navy-yards  belonging  to  the  United  States,  viz. :  at  Ports 
mouth,  N.  H.;  at  Charlestown,  in  Boston  harbour;  at  Brooklyn,  on  Wallabout 
Bay,  opposite  New  York;  at  Philadelphia;  at  Washington  City;  at  Gospoit, 
opposite  Norfolk,  Va. ;  at  Pensacola,  Fl. ;  and  at  Memphis,  Ten.,  on  the  Mis 
sissippi  river:  the  latter  is  not  yet  completed.  There  are  graving  or  dry-docks 
at  Charlestown  and  Gosport,  and  a  third  is  erecting  at  Brooklyn. 

In  its  commerce,  the  United  States  is  the  second  country  on  the  globe,  being 
inferior  only  to  Great  Britain.  In  1840,  the  capital  invested  in  foreign  trade,  by 
importing  and  commission  merchants,  was  $119,295,367;  in  domestic  retail  dry- 
goods  and  other  stores,  $250,301,799 ;  in  the  fisheries,  $16,429,620.  The  regis 
tered  tonnage  of  the  United  States,  for  the  year  ending  September  30th,  1842,  was 
975,358;  the  enrolled  and  licensed  tonnage  was  1,045,753;  and,  of  fishing  ves 
sels,  71,278;  making  a  total  of  2,092,390.  Of  the  registered  and  enrolled  ton 
nage,  there  were  employed  in  the  whale  fishery,  157,612  tons. 

The  value  of  the  imports  into  the  United  States  for  the  year  1844,  was 
$108,434,702.  The  value  of  the  exports  for  the  same  period,  was  $111,128,278 ; 
of  which  $100,183,497  was  domestic  produce. 

The  United  States  are  chiefly  an  agricultural  people,  to  which  they  are  led  by 
the  extent  of  their  territory,  and  the  fertility  of  the  soil ;  and  the  agricultural 
resources  of  the  nation  are  becoming  yearly  more  and  more  developed.  The 
'bllowing  agricultural  statistics  are  derived  from  the  census  of  the  United  States 
or  1840:  There  were  4,335,699  horses  and  mules;  14,971,586  neat  cattle; 
19,311,374  sheep ;  26,301,293  swine  ;  poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of  $9,344, 
110.  There  were  produced,  84,823,272  bushels  of  wheat;  7,291,743  of  buck 
wheat;  378,531,875  of  Indian  corn;  18,645,567  of  rye;  4,161,504  of  bailey  ; 
123,071,341  of  oats;  108,298,060  of  potatoes;  35,802,114  pounds  of  wool; 
219,163,319  of  tobacco;  80,841,422  of  rice;  790,479,270  of  cotton ;  155,100,809 
f  sugar ;  1,238,502  of  hops ;  622,303  of  wax ;  61,552  of  silk  cocoons ;  10,248,108 
tons  of  hay  ;  95,251  of  hemp  and  flax.  There  were  29^  bushels  of  edible  grains, 
xclusive  of  potatoes,  to  every  individual  of  its  population.  The  products  of  the 
iairy  were  valued  at  $33,787,008 ;  of  the  orchard,  at  $7,256,904 ;  of  lumber,  at 
|>12,943,507.  And  there  were  also  made,  124,734  gallons  of  wine. 

The  manufactures  of  the  United  States,  though  not  equal  to  its  agriculture  and 
;ommeree,  and  of  recent  origin,  have  already  risen  to  great  respectability.  A 
arge  amount  of  property  has  been  invested  in  them,  machinery  has  been  exten 
sively  introduced,  and  they  supply  a  great  amount  of  articles  for  home  consump 
tion,  and,  already,  considerable  for  exportation.  No  country  in  the  world  can 
compete  with  the  United  States  in  the  article  of  coarse  cotton  goods,  neither  as 
,o  quality  nor  price.  Cottons  which,  in  1812,  were  worth  25  cents  a-yard,  can 
now  be  bought,  of  a  better  quality,  for  8  cents.  And,  even  in  the  finer  quality 
)f  goods,  great  advancement  has  been  made.  It  is  only  since  the  peace  of  1815 
hat  manufactures  have  made  great  progess,  though  they  were  commenced  in  Rhode 
island  many  years  before,  and  had  made  some  advances.  It  was  the  policy  of 
,he  British  government,  before  the  revolution,  to  discourage  American  manufac- 
ures,  and  thus  to  keep  the  country  in  a  state  of  great  dependence.  But  that  has 
rone  by  ;  and,  should  events  ever  cut  off  a  supply  of  British  manufactures,  the 
ountry  would  be  able  to  do  without  them.  Unless  Great  Britain  and  other  coun 
tries  shall  consent,  in  a  fair  way,  to  receive  American  bread-stuffs  in  exchange 
or  their  manufactures,  the  Americans  will  be  compelled  to  become  their  own 
manufacturers,  and  they  will  thus  secure  their  substantial  independence. 

Home-made  or  family  goods  were  produced,  in  the  year  1840,  to  the  amount  of 
129,0-23,380.  There  were  1240  cotton  factories,  with  2,284,631  spindles,  which 
employed  72,119  persons,  and  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $46,350,453,  with 
i  capital  of  $51,102,359.  1420  woollen  manufactories  employed  21,342  persons, 

13*  ~"*~" 


12  UNITED  STATES. 


producing  goods  to  the  amount  of  $20,696,999,  with  a  capital  of  $15,765,124 ;  426 
paper-mills  employed  a  capital  of  $4,745,239 ;  hats  and  caps  were  manufactured 
to  the  amount  of  $8,704,342,  and  straw  bonnets  to  the  amount  of  $1,476,504; 
20,018  persons  were  employed  in  tanneries,  with  a  capital  of  $15,650,929  ;  sad 
dleries,  and  other  manufactories  of  leather,  employed  a  capital  of  $12,881,262; 
carriages  and  wagons  employed  21,994  persons,  and  produced  to  the  amount  of 
$10,897,887,  with  a  capital  of  $5,551,632;  mills  of  various  kinds  employed 
60,788  persons,  and  produced  to  the  amount  of  $76,545,246,  with  a  capital  of 
$65,858,470;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $7,016,094;  furniture  was 
made  by  18,003  persons,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $6,989,971.  There  were 
1552  printing-offices,  447  binderies,  138  daily,  125  semi-weekly  or  tri-weekly, 
and  1141  weekly  newspapers,  and  227  periodicals;  the  whole  employing  11,523 
persons,  and  a  capital  of  $5,874,815.  Iron  manufactures  employed  a  capital  of 
$20,432,131,  and  30,497  persons;  glass  manufactures  employed  3236  persons, 
and  a  capital  of  $2,084,100,  producing  articles  to  the  amount  of  $2,890,293.  The 
anthracite  coal  employed  a  capital  of  $4,355,602,  and  3043  persons ;  bituminous 
coal,  a  capital  of  $1,868,862,  and  3768  persons ;  and  lead,  a  capital  of  $1,346,756, 
and  1017  persons.  The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was 
$267,726,579.  For  a  more  particular  account  of  the  manufactures,  see  the  articles 
on  the  respective  States. 

The  whale,  cod,  mackerel  and  other  fisheries  have  long  been  an  interest  of  great 
national  importance.  They  are  carried  on  chiefly  from  the  New  England  States, 
and  in  New  England  ships.  The  whale-fishery  is  prosecuted  in  the  Atlantic 
ocean,  chiefly  south  of  the  line,  for  the  right  or  black  whale ;  and  in  the  Southern, 
Indian,  and  Pacific  oceans,  for  the  spermaceti  whale.  In  the  year  1841,  600  ves 
sels,  of  193,000  tons,  were  employed  in  this  business;  and,  in  the  course  of  the 
same  year,  spermaceti  and  whale  oil  was  brought  home,  of  the  value  of  about 
$7,400,000.  Seal  oil  and  furs  are  also  obtained  in  the  Antarctic  seas  by  these 
adventurous  seamen.  The  fishery  is  carried  on  chiefly  from  the  ports  of  Nan- 
tucket  and  New  Bedford,  and  also,  but  on  a  less  scale,  from  New  London,  Sag 
Harbour,  Warren,  Bristol,  Hudson,  &c.  About  16,000  men  are  engaged  in  it, 
and  the  seamen  are  paid,  not  by  fixed  wages,  but  by  a  certain  share  in  the  profits 
of  the  voyage.  Those  in  the  Pacific  and  Southern  oceans  are  generally  absent 
from  two  to  three  years  at  a  time.  The  cod-fishery  is  pursued  on  the  banks  and 
coasts  of  Newfoundland,  and  on  the  Labrador  coasts.  It  employs  many  thousands 
of  tons  of  small  craft,  some  of  which  make  several  trips  a  year ;  those  on  the 
coast-fisheries  generally  remain  longer.  The  mackerel-fishery  also  employs  a 
great  amount  of  shipping.  In  1840  the  fisheries  produced  773,967  quintals  of 
smoked  or  dried  fish,  and  472,359A  barrels  of  pickled  fish. 

No  part  of  the  world  presents  such  an  extensive  river  commerce.  Steam-ves 
sels,  first  introduced  in  America  on  the  Hudson  river,  ply  on  all  the  principal 
streams;  and  upwards  of  100,000  tons  of  this  species  of  craft  belongs  to  the 
United  States,  almost  the  whole  of  which  is  on  the  interior  waters.  The  Missis 
sippi  and  its  tributaries,  comprising  alone  an  extent  of  8000  miles,  is  traversed  by 
250  steamboats.  Neither  the  States  nor  individuals  have  been  slow  in  improving 
and  extending  these  natural  advantages ;  and  the  spirit  with  which  they  have 
undertaken,  and  the  perseverance  they  have  shown  in  executing  the  most  magni 
ficent  plans,  have  shed  a  lustre  on  the  American  name.  The  great  land-locked 
bays  of  the  coast  have  been  connected  by  a  chain  of  canals,  affording  a  safe 
internal  water-route  from  Narragansett  Bay  to  Albemarle  Sound.  The  eastern 
and  western  waters  have  been  united  by  several  channels,  which  either  turn  the 
Alleghanies,  or  surmount  their  summits.  The  waters  of  the  lakes  and  the  Mis 
sissippi  have  been  connected  at  various  points,  and  the  obstacles  in  the  navigation 
of  the  most  important  rivers  have  been  overcome  by  removing  the  bars  or  ledges 
which  obstructed  their  channels,  or  by  side-cuts,  locks,  and  dams.  The  whole 
length  of  this  artificial  navigation  is  not  less  than  4000  miles ;  all  of  which,  with 
one  or  two  trifling  exceptions,  has  been  executed  in  the  short  space  of  twenty-five 
years.  These  great  works  have  already  given  fresh  life  to  manufactures,  and 
encouraged  the  establishment  of  new  ones;  invigorated,  and  in  many  places 


UNITED  STATES. 


13 


created,  internal  trade;  promoted  agriculture,  which  requires  a  cheap  and  easy 
transportation  for  the  bulky  articles  which  it  consumes  and  produces;  and  deve 
loped,  in  an  astonishing  degree,  the  mining  industry  of  the  country. 

The  Americans  have  equally  surpassed  all  other  people  in  the  number  and 
extent  of  their  rail-roads,  having,  in  about  fifteen  years,  constructed  4500  miles 
of  these  artificial  levels,  over  which  carriages  are  propelled  by  locomotive  steam- 
engines  at  the  rate  of  from  20  to  30  miles  an  hour.  Although  this  contrivance  is 
less  adapted  than  canals  to  the  conveyance  of  bulky  articles,  yet  it  possesses 
some  advantages  over  that  mode  of  transport,  such  as  that  of  not  being  interrupted 
by  ice,  and  of  being  suited  to  certain  localities  in  which,  artificial  water  commu 
nication  would  be  impracticable. 

The  people  of  the  United  States,  from  the  first  settlement  of  the  country,  have 
been  very  attentive  to  the  cause  of  popular  education,  and  this  cause  is  continually 
gaining  a  stronger 'hold  on  the  community.  It  is  recommended  by  all  the  gover 
nors  of  the  States,  in  their  annual  messages  to  their  respective  Legislatures. 
Most  of  the  older  States  have  respectable  funds  devoted  to  the  support  of  common 
schools,  and,  in  the  new  States,  the  general  government  have  provided  funds  for 
the  support  of  schools,  by  setting  apart  one  36th  section  in  each  township,  con 
taining  each  one  square  mile,  for  the  purposes  of  common  education.  The  amount 
of  land  already  set  apart  for  educational  purposes,  east  of  the  Mississippi,  is  com 
puted  to  amount  to  8,000,000  of  acres.  The  same  spirit  is  also  extending  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  has  penetrated  even  to  the  Indian  tribes ;  and  the  Choctaw 
nation  has  applied  $18,000  per  annum  out  of  the  moneys  which  they  receive  from 
the  United  States,  to  the  support  of  schools.  Knowledge  and  virtue  are  regarded 
as  the  main  pillars  of  the  republic.  In  less  than  twenty  years  from  the  landing 
at  the  rock  of  Plymouth,  Cambridge  College  was  founded,"  and  numerous  similar 
institutions  have  been  successively  established,  from  that  day  to  this. 

The  following  are  among  the  principal  colleges  and  universities  in  the  country, 
with  the  date  of  their  establishment:  Cambridge  College,  now  Harvard  Univer 
sity,  in  1638;  Yale  College,  at  New  Haven,  in  1700;  Nassau  Hall,  or  College 
of  New  Jersey,  at  Princeton,  in  1746;  Brown  University,  at  Providence,  in 
1764;  Dartmouth  College,  at  Hanover,  New  Hampshire,  1769;  the  University 
of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel  Hill,  in  1739;  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick, 
Maine,  ia  1794 :  and,  among  the  more  recent  institutions,  the  University  of  Nash 
ville,  Tennessee,  in  1806 ;  the  University  of  Virginia,  at  Charlottesville,  in  1819 ; 
Amherst  College,  at  Amherst,  Massachusetts,  in  1821 ;  and  many  others.  Per 
haps,  if  fewer  institutions  had  been  chartered,  and  they  had  been  more  liberally 
endowed,  the  beneficial  results  would  have  been  greater,  though  the  number  edu 
cated  would  probably  have  been  less. 

According  to  the  eensus  of  1840,  there  were  in  the  United  States  173  colleges, 
or  universities,  with  16,233  students ;  3242  academies,  with  164,159  students; 
47,209  common  and  primary  schools,  with  !  ,845,244  scholars.  In  the  above 
Bnumeration,  theological  and  medical  schools,  where  they  are  separate  from  col- 
eges,  are  ranked  among  universities  and  colleges.  In  the  academies,  the  ancient 
and  modern  languages,  grammar,  history,  logic,  rhetoric,  natural  and  moral  phi- 
'osophy,  &c.,  are  taught.  The  common  schools  are  extensively  provided  with 
ibraries,  and  appropriate  apparatus  for  illustrating  the  sciences  taught  in 
them. 

There  are  38  theological  seminaries,  belonging  to  different  denominations, 
designed  to  succeed  a  collegiate  course;  some  of  which  are  connected  with  col- 
'eges.  The  principal  of  them  are  the  theological  seminary  at  Andover,  Mass., 
Congregational;  the  theological  seminary  at  Princeton,  Presbyterian ;  the  theo- 
ogical  seminary  at  Auburn,  Presbyterian ;  the  theological  seminary  of  the  Epis 
copal  Church,  New  York,  Protestant  Episcopal ;  the  theological  institution  at 
Newtown,  Massachusetts,  Baptist;  and  the  theological  department*  of  Yale 
College  and  Harvard  University. 

There  are  eight  law  schools  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  earliest 
nstitution  of  this  kind  was  founded  in  1798,  by  the  Hon.  Tapping  Reeve,  and 
taught  afterward  by  him  in  connection  with  the  Hon.  James  Gould,  both  judges 


14  UNITED  STATES. 


of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Connecticut.  At  this  institution,  many  of  the  principal 
civilians  in  the  United  States  have  been  educated.  It  is  now  discontinued. 

There  are  28  medical  schools,  some  .of  them  connected  with  colleges.  The 
principal  are  the  medical  departments  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania ;  of 
Harvard  University;  of  Yale  College;  of  Dartmouth  College;  of  Transylvania 
University;  of  the  University  of  Maryland,  at  Baltimore;  of  the  University  of 
New  York;  the  College  of  Surgeons  and  Physicians,  New  York;  the  Louisville 
Medical  Institution ;  the  Vermont  Academy  of  Medicine,  at  Castleton,  &c. 

There  is  no  established  church  in  the  United  States,  religion  being  left  to  the 
voluntary  choice  of  the  people.  No  sect  is  favoured  by  the  laws  beyond  another, 
it  being  an  essential  principle  in  the  National  and  State  governments,  that  legisla 
tion  may  of  right  interfere  in  the  concerns  of  public  worship  only  so  far  as  to  pro 
tect  every  individual  in  the  unmolested  exercise  of  that  of  his  choice.  Nor  is  any 
legislative  provision  made  for  the  support  of  religion,  except  that,  in  Massachu 
setts,  the  Legislature  is  enjeined  to  require,  and  in  New  Hampshire  is  empowered 
to  authorize,  the  several  towns  and  parishes  to  make  adequate  provision,  at  their 
own  expense,  for  the  support  of  protestant  ministers.  The  same  was  the  case  in 
Connecticut  until  1818,  when  it  was  abolished  by  the  new  constitution.  But,  in 
all  the  other  States,  the  support  of  religion  is  left  entirely  to  the  voluntary  zeal  of 
its  professors. 

The  numbers  of  established  churches,  or  congregations,  are  estimated  at  over 
20,000,  and  the  ministers  at  about  25,000.  The  Baptists  are  the  most  numerous 
denomination.  The  Methodists  are  reckoned  as  second  in  numerical  amount ; 
and. the  Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  Roman  Catholics,  Episcopalians,  Uni- 
versalists  and  Lutherans,  probably  rank,  in  point  of  numbers,  in  the  order  in  which 
they  are  mentioned.  Other  sects,  respectable  in  amount  of  numbers,  are  the 
Dutch  Reformed,  Christians,  Unitarians,  Friends  or  Quakers,  Moravians,  &c. 
In  fact,  almost  all  the  sects  of  Christianity  are  represented  in  our  country. 

To  the  State  governments  is  committed  that  branch  of  legislation  which  relates 
to  the  regulation  of  local  concerns.  These  bodies  make  and  alter  the  laws  which 
regard  property  and  private  rights,  appoint  judges  and  civil  officers,  impose  taxes 
for  State  purposes,  and  exercise  all  other  rights  and  powers  not  vested  in  the 
federal  government  by  positive  enactment.  They  are,  in  their  composition,  very 
similar  to  the  federal  government.  The  legislature  consists  always  of  two 
branches,  both  of  which  are  returned  by  the  same  electors ;  and  these  electors  may 
be  said  to  comprise  the  whole  adult  white  population,  the  usual  qualifications  being 
citizenship,  with  one  or  two  years'  residence,  and  payment  of  taxes. 

There  are  no  early  enumerations  of  the  population  on  which  much  reliance  can 
be  placed  ;  but,  in  1753,  the  number  was  estimated  at  1,051,000.  A  regular 
decennial  census,  taken  since  1790,  gave,  at  that  period,  3,929,827;  in  1800, 
5,305,925 ;  in  1810,  7,239,814  ;  in  1820,  9,638,131.  It  is  most  interesting  to  con 
sider^  as  the  immensity  of  unoccupied  land  leaves  full  scope  for  this  power  of 
multiplication,  how  vast  the  future  numbers  may  be  with  which  this  region  will 
be  peopled,  and  which  will  render  it  much  the  greatest  state  that  ever  existed  in 
ancient  or  modern  times.  It  is  calculated,  upon  good  grounds,  that  in  a  century 
it  will  contain  160,000,000;  and  still,  being  only  half  so  densely  peopled  as 
Britain  or  France,  leave  ample  scope  for  future  increase*  The  Americans,  should 
they  continue  united,  would  then  become  the  greatest  nation  in  the  world,  and  the 
most  powerful  States  of  Europe  would  rank  as  secondary  to  them. 

The  population,  exclusive  of  the  Indians,  whose  numbers  are  not  comprised 
in  the  above  statements,  consists  of  three  classes — whites,  free  coloured  persons, 
and  slaves — whose  relative  proportions  at  six  different  periods  are  here  given  : 

Whites*  Slaves.  Free  coloured. 

1790 3,172,464  . , 697,897 59,465 

1800 4,304,489 893,041 108,395 

1810 5,862,004 1,191,364 186,446 

1820 7,861,710 1,538,038 232,524 

1830 10,526,248 2,009,043 319,599 

1840 14,189,705 2,487,355 386,293 


UNITED  STATES. 


15 


In  regard  to  these  numbers,  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  in  the  census  of  1790  are 
not  included  the  inhabitants  of  the  Mississippi  and  North-west  Territories,  esti 
mated  at  about  12,000 ;  and  that,  between  1800  and  1810,  Louisiana  was  acquired 
with  about  50,000  inhabitants ;  and  39,000  Africans  were  brought  into  the  coun 
try.  The  following  statement  shows  the  relative  rate  of  increase  of  the  whole 
population,  and  of  each  of  the  three  classes,  in  the  three  periods  from  1810  to 
1820,  from  1820  to  1830,  and  from  1830  to  1840 : 

1810-1820.         1820-1830.         1830-1840. 
Increase  of  whole  population ....  33.3  per  ct 33.4  per  ct 30  per  ct. 


Whites 

Slaves  

Free  Blacks  . , 


,.34 

.28.6.."  .. 
.24.8.."  ... 


.33.9.."  .. 
.30.6..  "  .. 
.37.4..  "  .. 


.35 
.21      ' 
.23.75' 


Blacks 28.5..  " 31.5..  " 23 


Maine . 
N.  H... 
Verm't 
Mass... 
R.  I.... 
Conn. .. 
N.  York 
N.  Jer. 
Penn'a 

Del 

Maryrd 
B.  ofC. 
Virginia 
N.  Car. 
S.  Car. 
Georgia 
Florida 
Alab'ma 
Miss'ppi 
Louis' a 
Ten 'see 
Kent'y 
Ohio  . . . 
Indiana 
Illinois . 
Missouri 
Micbg'n 
Arkan's 
Iowa  ... 
Wis.  T. 
U.  S.  N. 


Total. 


151,719 
183,762 
154,465 

423,245 


251,002 
586,786 
211,949 
602,365 

64,2/3 
341,548 

14,093 
880,200 
478,103 
345,591 
162,101 


8,850 


105,602 

220,955 

45,365 

4,875 


381 

951 

20,343 

12,422 

1,706 

6,153 

105,G35 

3,244 

345,796 

133,296 

146,151 


3,489 


13,584 
40,343 


135 


Total. 


288,705 
214,360 
217,713 
472,040 

77,031 
262,042, 
959,949 
249,555 
810,091 

72,674 
380,546 

24,023 
974,622. 
555,500 
415,115 
252,433 


40,352 

76,556 

261,727 

406,511 

230,760 

24,520 

12,282 

20,845 

4,762 


M3 

310 

15,107 

10,851 

795 

4,177 

111,502 

5,395 

392,518 


196,365 
105,218 


17,088 

34,660 
44,535 
80,561 

"'237 

168 

3,011 


298,335 
244,161 
235,764 


83,059 

275,202 

1,372,812 

277,575 

1,049,458 

72,749 

407,350 

33,036 

1,065,379 

638,829 

502,741 

340,987 


127,901 

75,448 

153,407 

422,813 

564,317 

581,434 

147,178 

55,211 

66,586 

8,896 

14,273 


Totals.  .  5,305,925j  893.041  7,239,8141,191,364  9.638,131  1,538,038]  12,866.020  2,009,043  17,069,4532.487,355 


41,879 
32,814 
69,064 
80,107 
126,732 

'"196 

917 

10,222 


1,61' 


399,955 


280,652 
610,408 
97,199 
297,665 
10,088  1,918,608 
7,557 
211 
4,509 
107,398 
6,377 
425,15.' 
205,017 
258,475 
149,656 


1,348,238 
76.748 
447,040 
39,834 
1,211,405 
737,987 
581,185 
516,823 
34,730 
309,527 
136,621 
215,739 
681,904 
687,917 
937,903 
343,031 
157,445 
140,455 


30,388 


14 

25 
76 

2,254 

403 

3,292 

102,994 

6,119 

469,75' 

247,601 

315,401 

217,531 

1.5,501 

117,549 

65,659 

109,588 

141,603 

165,213 


25,081 


4,576 


501,973 

284,574 

291,948 

737,699 

108,830 

309,978 

2,428,921 

373,306 

1,724,033 

78,085 

470,019 

43,712 

1,239,797 

753,419 

594,398 

691,392 

54,477 

590,756 

375,651 

352,411 

829,210 

779,828 

1,519  46 

685,866 

476,183 

383,702 

212,267 

97,574 

43,112 

30,945 

6,100 


5 
17 
4 

674 
64 

2605 

89J37 

4,694 

448,987 

245,817 

327,036 

280,944 

25,717 

253,532 

195,211 

168,452 

183,059 

182,258 

3 

3 

331 
58,240 

19,935 


Ages,  fyc.  of  the  different  Classes  of  the  Population  in  1840. 


FREE  WHITE  POPULATION. 


eOLOriRED    POPULATION. 


Under  5  years  of  age 
Of  5  to     - 

10  to 

15  to 

20  to 

30  to 

40  to 

50  to 

tifi  to 

70  to 

80  to 


1,270,743  1,203,319 


1,0-24,050 

897,530 

756,1015 

1,322.453 

860,452 

536,606 

314,528 

174,238 

80,067 

21.677 

2,508 

476 


Totals 7,249.276  6,939,942 


Free  Male*.  Free    Females.  Male  Slave*.  Fenanl*  Blares. 


9H6.940 

836,630 

792,223 

1,253,490 

77!»,120 

£02,183 

304,852 

173,329 

80,565 

23,962 

3,2:12 

316 


Under  10 

Of  10  to  24. . 

24  to    36. . 

36  to    55.. 

55  to  100. . 
Upwards  of  100 

Totals... 


56,284 
52,805 
35,321 

28,274 

13,513 

284 

186.457 


55,062 
56,592 
41,682 
30,371 
15,753 
362 


199,778 


422,584 


235,380 

145,260 

51,331 

750 


1,246,408  1,240,705 


Whites....... 

Blacks...,.,. 

Totals. . 
Revolutionary 
Whites  over  j 

U 


>e  and  IdioU.  Blind.  Deaf  and  Dumb. 

.14,508 5,024 6,682 

.  2,926  ..,..,,.1,892.,,.....    977 


,  .17,434 6,916 7,659 

Oand  military  pensioners 20,797 
unable  to  read  and  write 549,693 


16  UNITED  STATES. 


The  whole  number  of  aborigines  existing  within  the  territorial  jurisdiction  of 
the  United  States,  was  estimated  in  1844  at  335,350;  of  whom  perhaps  50,000 
reside  in  the  Oregon  territory,  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  the  residue  east 
of  that  region.  Of  those  on  the  Atlantic  side  of  the  Mississippi  river,  85,348 
have  removed  from  its  eastern  to  its  western  bank,  and  settled  in  the  Western  or 
Indian  territory,  assigned  to  them  by  the  government  of  the  United  States ;  and 
31,587  are  still  east  of  that  stream.  Of  the  Indians  residing  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  west  of  the  Mississippi,  168,290  are  indigenous  to  that  region, 
nowise  under  the  control  of  our  government :  of  these,  the  principal  aie  the  Sioux, 
Pawnees,  Camanches,  Minatarees,  Blackfeet,  Crows,  Gros  Venires,  and  Assini- 
boines.  The  most  humane  exertions  have  constantly  been  in  operation,  on  the 
part  of  the  general  government,  to  preserve  the  race  from  extinction,  by  severe 
provisions  to  prevent  their  obtaining  ardent  spirits,  and  by  unwearied  efforts  to 
train  them  to  the  arts  and  agriculture,  and  to  impart  to  them  the  blessings  of  edu 
cation  and  Christianity.  Under  the  system  adopted  by  the  government,  agents 
and  sub-agents,  interpreters  and  mechanics,  are  employed  among  the  different 
Indian  tribes,  to  carry  these  purposes  into  effect;  and  the  President  is  authorized 
to  cause  the  stores  of  the  licensed  traders  to  be  searched,  and,  if  ardent  spirits 
are  found  among  the  articles  for  sale,  the  whole  goods  are  forfeited  to  the  govern 
ment. 

The  whole  number  of  Indian  schools  established  among  them,  partly  by  chari 
table  associations  of  the  different  religious  denominations,  and  partly  by  pecuniary 
aid  from  the  government,  is  78.  The  sum  of  $10,000  was  appropriated  in  1844, 
by  the  U.  S.  government,  to  assist  in  their  maintenance.  Of  the  foregoing 
schools,  63  were  reported  in  1844,  with  2667  scholars  and  100  teachers,  including 
those  in  the  Spencer  academy  and  Fort  Coffee  academy,  in  the  Choctaw  nation; 
the  first  of  these  contained  3  teachers  and  110  pupils,  and  the  latter,  1  teacher 
and  36  pupils.  Two  of  the  schools,  at  Fort  Leavenworth  are  manual  labour 
schools,  one  of  which,  under  the  direction  of  the  Methodists,  is  the  largest  of  all 
the  Indian  schools,  containing  159  scholars. 

The  territory  of  the  confederacy  is  at  present  divided  into  twenty-eight  States, 
one  Territory,  and  one  Federal  District,  which  contains  the  seat  of  government. 
This  does  not  include  the  extensive  tract  assigned  to  the  Indians,  called  the  West 
ern  Territory ;  the  region  west  of  the  Missouri  and  north  of  the  Platte ;  and  the 
residue  of  the  late  Iowa  Territory,  of  which  the  State  of  Iowa  now  forms  a  part; 
and  that  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  which  the  white  population  is  yet  of 
small  amount,  and  which  has  received  no  political  organization.  The  States 
are  divided,  for  municipal  purposes,  into  sections,  styled  counties ;  except  in 
South  Carolina,  where  they  are  called  districts;  and  in  Louisiana, where  they  are 
called  parishes.  In  the  States  of  New  England,  in  New  York,  Pennsylvania 
New  Jersey,  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Michigan,  the  counties  are  subdivided  into  town 
ships  (in  some  States  these  are  called  towns),  and  in  Delaware  into  hundreds. 


THE  EASTERN,  OR  NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 

NEW  ENGLAND  comprises  the  six  States  situated  east  of  the  Hudson,  viz., 
Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut. 
The  inhabitants  are  almost  exclusively  of  unmixed  English  origin,  and,  though 
never  united  as  a  political  whole,  they  haVe  at  different  periods  been  connected 
for  their  common  interests.  From  the  earliest  settlement  of  their  country,  they 
have  enjoyed  peculiar  advantages  for  literary  and  religious  instruction,  and, 
trained  to  habits  of  industry,  economy,  and  enterprise,  by  the  circumstances  of 
their  peculiar  situation,  as  well  as  by  the  dangers  of  prolonged  wars,  they  present 
traits  of  character  which  are  considered  as  remarkable  abroad,  as  they  are  common 
at  home. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  infinitely  varied.  In  the  interior  it  is  mountain 
ous,  with  fertile  valleys  between.  The  land  along  the  sea-shora  presents  in  ge 
neral  an  irregular  surface,  consisting  of  hills  and  ridges,  with  flats  of  moderate 
extent.  The  inland  portion  towards  the  mountains  presents  an  almost  constant  sue- 


UNITED  STATES,  17 


cession  of  short  hills  and  narrow  valleys.  There  are  no  extensive  plains  through 
out  the  whole  of  New  England.  Much  of  the  soil  is  good,  yet  in  general  it  re 
quires  diligent  cultivation,  and  compels  the  farmer  to  use  great  industry  to  pro 
cure  tolerable  crops;  and  although  it  well  repays  the  labour  of  the  husbandman, 
it  is  on  the  whole  less  fruitful  than  many  other  parts  of  the  United  States. 

Most  of  the*  New  England  States  are  largely  engaged  in  manufactures.  The 
different  establishments  of  various  kinds  are  too  numerous  to  specify.  The  cotton 
factories,  in  particular,  employ  a  vast  number  of  hands  and  a  great  amount  of 
capital.  A  proof  of  the  result  of  these  great  establishments  may  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  twenty-five  years  ago  the  chief  cottons  of  the  United  States  were  im 
ported  from  India.  New  England  now  sends  her  manufactured  cottons  there,  and 
finds  the  trade  profitable.  Since  the  manufacturing  system  has  prevailed,  this 
part  of  the  Union  has  rapidly  increased  in  population  and  business. 

The  New  Englanders  are  extensively  engaged  in  the  Bank  and  whale  fisheries. 
This  pursuit  employs  many  thousands  of  hands,  furnishes  one  of  the  most  impor 
tant  items  in  this  section  of  the  United  States,  and  trains  vast  numbers  of  the  most 
experienced  and  intrepid  mariners  in  the  world. 

An  active  commerce  is  carried  on  from  the  ports  of  New  England  with  all 
parts  of  the  world ;  their  ships  spread  their  sails  in  every  sea,  and  her  lumber 
manufactures  and  the  produce  of  her  fisheries  are  extensively  exported.  Almost 
every  village  carries  on  some  handicraft,  and  the  farmer  often  employs  the  long 
winter  evenings  in  some  gainful  task.  Thus  are  produced  many  little  obje'cts 
which  although  in  appearance  of  small  value,  yet  in  the  aggregate  constitute  a 
source  of  considerable  wealth  to  the  community,  and  are  produced  to  such  an  ex 
tent  as  almost  to  rival  in  value  the  products  of  the  large  manufacturing  establish 
ments. 

From  the  first  settlement  of  the  country,  the  inhabitants  of  New  England  have 
been  a  religious  people.  The  entire  freedom  of  opinion  enjoyed  by  them  has  led 
to  a  diversity  of  religious  denominations.  In  almost  every  town  and  village  are 
several  places  of  public  worship  belonging  to  the  different  sects  common  in  the 
country,  among  which  are  Congregationalists,  Baptists,  Episcopalians,  Methodists, 
Unitarians,  &c..  It  is  disreputable  for  a  man  to  have  no  religious  belief,  and  there 
are  few  who  do  not  give  their  support  to  some  one  mode  of  religious  worship. 
The  sabbath  is  strictly  observed,  and  the  people  generally  attend  public  worship 
twice  during  the  day. 

Education  is  more  universal  here  than  in  any  part  of  the  world.  It  is  exceed 
ingly  hard  to  find  persons  of  mature  age  who  have  not  been  instructed  in  the 
common  branches  of  school  learning.  Institutions  of  learning  and  education  were 
established  at  an  early  period  by  the  first  settlers  of  New  England,  some  of  which 
at  the  present  day  are  the  most  respectable  and  efficient  in  the  Union.  A  large 
part  of  the  distinguished  men  of  the  United  States  have  been  educated  at  Har 
vard  and  Yale  colleges,  and  though  there  are  many  similar  institutions  in  other 
States,  still  many  students  from  the  south  and  west  are  annually  taught  in  the 
colleges  of  New  England. 

The  population  of  New  England  has  been  gradually  increasing.  In  1700  it 
was  about  120,000,  and  in  1755  was  estimated  at  345,000,  not  including  the  troops 
at  that  time  in  the  provinces.  The  amount  in  1820  was  1,659,854;  in  1830, 
1,954,609;  and,  in  1840,  2,235,002;  of  which  number  23  were  slaves. 


STATE    OF    MAINE. 

MAINE  is  the  most  northern  and  'eastern  of  the  United  States.  Previous  to  the 
year  1820,  it  formed  a  part  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  at  which 
period  it  was  received  into  the  Union  as  an  independent  State.  Maine  is  in  length 
from  north  to  south  about  216  miles,  and  from  east  to  west  162 ;  the  area  is  differ 
ently  estimated  at  from  32,000  to  35,000  square  miles.  On  the  sea-coast,  the 
country  is  generally  level ;  at  some  distance  in  the  interior,  hilly ;  and  in  the  cen 
tral  parts  of  the  State  are  many  mountains  of  considerable  elevation. 

""  28 


18  UNITED  STATES. 


The  principal  rivers  are  the  St.  Johns,  with  its  branches,  the  Allagash,  Wal- 
loostook,  and  the  Aroostook;  with  the  Penobscot,  Kennebec,  Androscoggin, 
Saco,  Pleasant,  Damariscotta,  and  Union  rivers. 

The  sea-coast  of  Maine  is  remarkably  indented  with  bays  and  inlets,  which 
afford  great  facilities  for  navigation  and  commerce.  The  principal  are  Casco, 
Penobscot,  Frenchman's,  Englishman's,  Machias,  and  Passamaquoddy  Bays. 

The  lakes  are  so  numerous,  that  it  is  estimated  one-sixth  of  the  surface  of  the 
State  consists  of  water,  and  indeed  they  form  one  of  the  characteristic  features  of 
the  country.  Some  of  them  are  remarkable  for  their  picturesque  beauties,  and 
many  of  them  will  no  doubt  be  useful  mediums  of  communication  when  their 
vicinity  is  more  populous.  The  most  noted  are  Moosehead,  Umbagog,  Sebago, 
the  Schoodic  Lakes,  and  Lake  Chesuncook. 

The  soil  on  the  coast  is  various,  and  of  but  moderate  fertility  :  in  the  interior, 
most  of  the  land  is  more  productive,  and  some  of  it,  especially  on  the  Kennebec 
and  Penobscot  river,  is  fertile,  and  well  adapted  to  agriculture  and  grazing.  One 
of  the  most  important  productions  of  this  State  is  white-pine  timber,  which  is 
found  chiefly  on  the  Upper  Kennebec  and  Penobscot  rivers,  and.  also  on  the  Alla 
gash.  As  there  is  no  other  tract  of  country  yielding  this  lumber  to  any  considera 
ble  extent  in  the  Atlantic  States,  the  lands  producing  it  have  lately  much  advanced 
in  price. 

The  population  in  1790  was  96,540;  in  1800,  151,719;  in  1810,  228,705;  in 
1820,  298,335 ;  in  1830,  399,955  ;  and  in  1840, 501,793.  Of  these,  252,989  were 
white  males,  and  247,449  white  females ;  720  were  coloured  males,  and  635  coloured 
females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  101,630;  in  commerce,  2921;  in  manufac 
tures  and  trades,  21,879;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  10,091 ;  in  the  learned  profes 
sions,  1889. 

According  to  the  census  of  1840,  there  were  in  the  State  59,208  horses  or  mules ; 
227,255  neat  cattle;  649,264  sheep;  117,386  swine.  There  were  produced, 
248,166  bushels  of  wheat;  137,941  of  rye;  950,528  of  Indian  corn;  355,161  of 
barley ;  1,076,409  of  oats ;  10,392,380  of  potatoes ;  and  601,358  tons  of  hay.  The 
products  of  the  dairy  amounted  to  $1,496,902,  and  of  lumber  to  $1,808,683. 

The  exports  of  Maine,  for  the  year  ending  September  1841,  were  $1,078,633, 
and  the  imports  $700,961.  There  were,  in  1840,  70  commercial  and  14  commis 
sion  houses  in  foreign  trade,  employing  a  capital  of  $1,646,926 ;  2220  retail 
dry-goods  and  other  stores,  with  a  capital  of  $3,973,593  ;  2068  persons  employed 
in  the  lumber  trade,  with  a  capital  of  $305,850. 

The  manufactures  of  Maine  are  considerable.  Home-made  or  family  manufac 
tures  amounted,  in  1840,  to  $804,397;  there  were  24  woollen  manufactories, 
which  employed  532  individuals,  producing  goods  to  the  amount  of  $412,366, 
with  a  capital  of  $316,105;  6  cotton  manufactories  produced  goods  to  the  amount 
of  $970,397,  with  a  capital  of  $1,398,000.  Flouring,  grist,  saw  and  other  mills, 
employed  3630  persons,  and  produced  to  the  amount  of  $3,161,592,  with  a  capital 
of  $2,900,565.  Ships  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $1,884,902;  3610  persons 
were  employed  in  the  fisheries,  with  a  capital  of  $526,957.  Total  amount  of 
capital  employed  in  manufactures,  $7,147,224. 

The  principal  colleges  in  Maine  are  Bowdoin,  at  Brunswick,  founded  in  1794 ; 
Waterville  College,  at  Waterville,  founded  1820;  Bangor  Theological  Seminary, 
at  Bangor,  founded  1816;  Wesleyan  Seminary,  at  Readfield,  founded  1822. 
These  institutions  had,  in  1840,  266  students.  There  were  in  the  State  86  acade 
mies,  with  8477  students;  3385  common  and  primary  schools,  with  164,477 
scholars.  There  were  3241  persons,  over  twenty  years  of  age,  who  could  neither 
read  nor  write.  1 

The  principal  religious  denominations  are  the  Methodists,  Baptists,  and  Con- 
gregationalists.  The  Baptists  had,  in  1836,  222  churches,  145  ordained  minis 
ters,  and  15,000  communicants;  the  Methodists,  115  travelling  preachers,  and 
15,493  communicants;  the  Congregationalists,  161  churches,  119  ministers,  and 
12,370  communicants.  There  are  also  some  Free-will  Baptists,  Friends,  Episco 
palians,  Unitarians,  Universalists,  and  Roman  Catholics. 

The  chief  works  of  internal  improvement  are  the  Cumberland  and  Oxford 


MAINE.  19 


Canal,  completed  in  1829,  20£  miles  long;  Bangor  and  Orono  Railroad,  com 
pleted  in  1836,  10  miles  long ;  the  Portland,  Saco  and  Portsmouth  Rail-road, 
incorporated  in  1837.  This  work,  in  connection  with  the  Eastern  Rail-road,  con 
nects  Boston  with  Portland;  it  was  completed  in  1842.  Several  other  lines  of 
rail-roads  are  contemplated,  the  most  important  of  which  is  a  rail-road  from  Port 
land  to  Quebec. 

The  city  of  Portland  is  the  largest  and  most  important  place  in  the  State.  It 
is  beautifully  situated  on  Casco  Bay,  is  well  laid  out  and  handsomely  built,  and 
has  a  capacious  harbour,  which  is  defended  by  two  forts.  Here  ate  six  banks, 
sixteen  churches,  a  court-house,  city  hall,  custom-house,  jail,  athenaeum,  with  a 
public  library  containing  5000  volumes.  The  population,  in  1840,  was  15,218. 
The  city  of  Bangor,  the  most  important  place  on  the  Penobscot,  has  trebled  its 
population  since  1830;  in  1840  it  contained  8627  inhabitants.  From  300  to  400 
million  feet  of  lumber  are  said  to  be  annually  exported  from  this  place. 

Augusta,  the  capital  of  the  State,  occupies  both  sides  of  the  Kennebec  river, 
50  miles  from  its  mouth  :  it  contains  a  handsome  State-house  of  granite,  and  an 
United  States  Arsenal.  Below  Augusta  are  Hallowell  and  Gardiner,  both  flourish 
ing  towns;  and  at  the  head  of  ship  navigation,  and  about  15  miles  from  the  sea, 
is  Bath,  noted  for  its  ship-building.  From  Thomaston  is  exported  large  quantities 
of  lime,  marble,  and  granite.  Some  of  the  other  principal  towns  in  Maine,  are 
Eastport,  Machias,  Calais,  Orono,  Belfast,  Brunswick,  Saco,  and  York. 


STATE   OF   NEW   HAMPSHIRE. 

THIS  State  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lower  Canada;  on  the  east,  by  Maine 
and  the  Atlantic  Ocean ;  south  by  Massachushetts ;  and  west  by  Vermont.  It  is 
n  length,  from  north  to  south,  about  160  miles;  and  from  east  to  west,  70  is 
about  the  average  breadth.  It  is,  in  area,  8500  square  miles.  The  sea-coast  of 
his  State,  from  Piscataqua  Harbor  to  the  south  boundary,  is  but  18  miles  in 
sxtent. 

The  country  on  the  coast  is  level :  in  the  interior,  the  surface  is  greatly  diversi 
fied  by  hills  and  valleys,  and  contains  several  mountains  of  considerable  height ; 
among  which  are  the  White  Mountains,  the  most  elevated  of  any  in  the  New 
England  States.  The  other  considerable  elevations  are,  Moosehillock,  Monad- 
nock,  Kearsarge,  Sunipee,  Ossipee,  &c. 

The  White  Mountains  are  distinguished  by  the  names  of  Washington,  Frank- 
in,  Adams,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe,  and  Pleasant.  Mount  Washington  is 
5,428  feet  in  height.  They  are  covered  with  snow  ten  months  in  the  year,  ^nd 
are  often  seen  from  a  great  distance  at  sea,  and  frequently  before  any  intermediate 
and,  although  they  are  at  least  65  miles  in  the  nearest  direction  from  the  coast. 
I'he  wild  and  sublime  character  of  their  scenery  causes  them  to  be  annually 
visited  by  numerous  travellers.  The  ascent  to  their  summits  is  attended  with 
onsiderable  fatigue,  but  has  been  surmounted  in  a  few  instances  by  ladies.  The 
view  is  rendered  uncommonly  grand  and  picturesque  by  the  magnitude  of  the 
levation,  the  extent  and  variety  of  the  surrounding  scenery,  and,  above  all,  by 
the  huge  and  desolate  piles  of  rocks  extending  to  a  great  distance  in  every  direc 
tion.  In  the  western  pass  of  these  mountains,  there  is  a  remarkable  gap,  called 
he  Notch,  which  is  esteemed  one  of  the  grandest  natural  curiosities  in  the  United 
States.  .To  an  admirer  of  the  wonders  of  nature,  the  passage  through  the  Notch, 
and  the  views  from  the  summit,  afford  a  rich  repast.  Though  inferior  to  the 
Andes  or  the  Alps  in  elevation,  yet  they  display  the  grandest  mountain  scenery, 
surpassing  everything  of  the  kind  to  be 'seen  elsewhere  in  this  country. 

The  principal  rivers  of  New  England  have  their  origin,  either  wholly  or  in 
part,  in  this  State.  These  are,  the  Connecticut,  Merrimack,  Androscoggin,  Saco, 
and  Piscataqua.  The  other  most  considerable  streams  are,  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Amonoosuck,  Sugar  River,  Ashuelot,  Contoocook,  Magallaway,  and  Nashua. 
The  principal  lakes  are  the  Winnipiseogee,  Umbagog,  Ossipee,  Sunapee,  Squam, 
and  Newfound  Lake. 

^^—^u—    ----- — 


20  UNITED  STATES. 


The  inhabitants  of  New  Hampshire  are  principally  engaged  in  agriculture ;  the 
chief  products  are  Indian  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  barley,  &c. ;  and  horses  and 
cattle,  beef,  pork,  butter,  cheese,  &c.,  are  largely  exported.  There  are  some  large 
manufacturing  establishments,  chiefly  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State. 

The  mineral  resources  of  New  Hampshire  are  not  great.  Copper  is  found  at 
Franconia,  and  iron  is  abundant  in  Lisbon  and  Franconia;  plumbago  or  black 
lead  also  occurs  in  several  places,  particularly  at  Bristol.  A  fine-grained  granite, 
which  is  quarried  in  many  places,  affords  an  excellent  building  material.  The 
forest  affords  abundance  of  excellent  timber,  and  the  white  pine  sometimes 
attains  the  height  of  200  feet,  with  a  straight  trunk  six  feet  and  upwards  in 
diameter. 

About  eight  miles  from  the  coast  are  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  belonging  partly  to 
New  Hampshire,  and  partly  to  Maine.  They  lie  between  Portsmouth  and  New- 
buryport,  and  are  hardly  more  than  a  cluster  of  shoals  rising  above  the  water. 
The  inhabitants  are  about  100  in  number;  they  live  solely  by  fishing,  and  sup 
ply  Portsmouth  and  the  neighbouring  towns  with  fresh  fish. 

The  population  of  New  Hampshire,  in  1790,  was  141,855;  in  1800,  183,858; 
in  1810,  214,460;  in  1820,244,161;  in  1830,269,328;  and  in  1840,  284,574. 
Of  these,  139,004  were  white  males,  and  145,032  white  females;  248  were 
coloured  males,  and  290  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  77,949 ; 
in  commerce,  1379 ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  17,826 ;  in  navigating  the  ocean, 
455  ;  do.  lakes,  rivers  and  canals,  198 ;  in  the  learned  professions,  1640. 

The  exports  for  the  year  1841  were  $10,384,  and  the  imports  $73,701.  The 
tonnage  entered  was  11,129,  cleared  3805  tons. 

In  1840  there  were  43,892  horses  or  mules,  275,562  neat  cattle,  617,390  sheep, 
and  121,671  swine.  There  were  produced,  422,124  bushels  of  wheat ;  308,148  of 
rye;  105,103  of  buckwheat;  1,162,572  of  Indian  corn;  121,899  of  barley; 
1,296,1 14  of  oats;  and  6,206,606  of  potatoes;  1,260,517  pounds  of  wool;  1,162,368 
of  sugar;  and  496,107  tons  of  hay.  The  produce  of  the  dairy  was  $1,638,543 ; 
of  lumber,  $433,217. 

Home-made  or  family  goods  were  manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $538,303. 
There  were  66  woollen  manufactories,  152  fulling-mills,  and  58  cotton  factories. 
The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $9,252,448. 

The  principal  literary  institution  of  the  State  is  Dartmouth  College,  in  Hano 
ver,  founded  in  1770;  to  which  is  attached  a  flourishing  medical  department. 
The  Gilmanton  Theological  Seminary  was  founded  in  1835,  under  the  direction 
of  the  Congregationalists.  In  these  institutions  there  were,  in  1840, 433  students. 
There  were  in  the  State  68  academies,  with  5799  students ;  2127  common  and 
primary  schools,  with  82,632  scholars.  There  were  942  white  persons,  over 
twenty  years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

The  principal  religious  denominations  are  the  Congregationalists,  Baptists,  and 
Methodists.  In  1836,  the  Congregationalists  had  159  churches,  142  ministers, 
and  18,982  communicants;  the  Baptists  had  90  churches,  64  ordained  ministers, 
and  6505  communicants ;  the  Free-will  Baptists  had  100  congregations,  and  81 
ministers;  the  Methodists  had  75  ministers.  Besides  these,  there  are  Presbyte 
rians,  Unitarians,  Episcopalians,  Universalists,  and  some  Roman  Catholics,  with 
two  societies  of  Shakers. 

Portsmouth,  the  only  sea-port,  and  the  largest  town  in  the  State,  is  pleasantly 
situated  on  the  Piscataqua,  three  miles  from  the  sea.  It  has  one  of  the  finest 
harbours  in  the  world,  affording  40  feet  of  water  in  the  channel  at  low  tide,  and 
being  easily  accessible  to  vessels  of  the  largest  size,  and  completely  landlocked. 
It  is  protected  by  several  forts.  The  tide  rises  ten  feet.  The  town  stands  on  a 
peninsular  elevation,  sloping  towards  the  harbour,  and  is  well  built.  It  contains 
seven  churches,  seven  banks,  the  county  buildings,  &c.,  and  is  well  supplied 
with  good  water  brought  from  the  neighbourhood.  Two  wooden  bridges  have 
been  built  across  the  Piscataqua,  one  of  which  is  1750  feet  long.  There  is  here 
a  navy-yard  belonging  to  the  United  States,  situated  on  Navy  Island,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  but  within  the  limits  of  Maine.  Population  in  1840,  7887; 
being  195  less  than  in  1830. 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE.  21 


Concord,  the  capital  of  the  State,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Merrimack  river,  is 
handsomely  built  on  two  principal  streets  ;  has  the  State-house  and  State  prison 
of  granite,  besides  banks,  churches,  hotels,  &c. ;  population,  4897.  In  the  south 
east  part  of  the  State,  are  several  towns  largely  engaged  in  manufactures ;  these 
are,  Dover,  Somersworth,  Newmarket  and  Exeter;  the  latter,  besides  its  mills  and 
manufactures,  contains  Phillip's  Academy,  a  well-known  and  respectable  semi 
nary.  These  are  all  on  navigable  rivers,  furnishing  fine  mill-seats,  and  constant 
communication  with  the  sea.  Nashua,  near  the  south  line  of  the  State,  contains 
several  large  cotton-mills ;  population  in  1840,  6054.  Hanover  and  Haverhill  are 
towns  of  between  2000  and  3000  inhabitants  each.  Amherst  and  Keene  are 
neat  and  thriving  towns  between  the  Merrimack  and  Connecticut  rivers.  Man 
chester,  on  the  former,  is  a  manufacturing  town,  with  3235  inhabitants. 


STATE   OF  VERMONT. 

VERMONT  is  bounded  N.  by  Lower  Canada;  E.  by  New  Hampshire;  S.  by 
Massachusetts ;  W.  by  New  York ;  from  which  it  is  separated,  in  part,  by  Lake 
Champlain.  It  is  157  miles  in  length,  from  north  to  south  ;  90  miles  in  breadth 
on  the  northern,  and  40  on  the  southern  boundary ;  and  contains  an  area  of  10,212 
square  miles,  or  6,535,680  acres. 

'  The  Green  Mountains,  from  which  the  State  derives  its  name,  on  account  of 
the  evergreens  with  which  they  are  covered,  occupy  a  large  part  of  the  State ; 
and  most  of  its  surface  is  uneven.  The  range  passes  through  its  whole  length, 
about  half-way  between  Lake  Champlain  and  the  Connecticut  river. 

From  these  mountains,  many  streams  take  their  rise :  the  most  important  are, 
Otter  creek,  Onion  river,  La  Moile,  and  Missisque,  which  empty  into  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  on  the  west ;  the  White,  Pasumpsic,  and  West  rivers,  which  flow  into  the 
Connecticut,  on  the  east. 

The  scenery  of  this  State  is  romantic  and  beautiful,  the  air  pure  and  healthful, 
and  the  natives  industrious,  intelligent  and  hospitable. 

The  soil  is  fertile,  and  all  sorts  of  grain  suited  to  the  climate  are  produced  in 
great  abundance.  Dark,  rich,  and  loamy,  it  is  admirably  calculated  to  sustain 
drought,  and  affords  the  finest  pasturage  of  any  State  in  the  Union.  Wool  is 
becoming  an  important  product  here.  Cattle  of  various  kinds  are  raised,  with 
great  facility ;  and  nowkere  is  finer  beef  to  be  seen,  than  is  fed  en  the  rich  white 
clover  pastures  of  Vermont.  The  butter  and  cheese  are  universally  known  for 
their  excellence. 

Vermont  is  entirely  in  the  interior ;- yet,  by  the  system  of  internal  improvements, 
the  Champlain  Canal,  and  the  Lake,  vessels  and  steamboats  have  brought  her  ter 
ritory  almost  in  contiguity  with  the  sea.  Part  of  the  trade  goes  by  canal  to 
Albany,  and  part  down  the  lake  to  Montreal :  much  of  that  which  formerly  went 
to  Boston  and  Hartford,  is  now  drawn  by  the  Champlain  Canal  to  New  York. 
This  canal  has  been  of  incalculable  advantage  to  the  State. 

The  population  of  Vermont  in  1790  was  85,589;  in  1800,  154,465;  in  1810, 
217,895;  in  1820,  235,764;  in  1830,  280,679;  in  1840,  291,948.  Of  these, 
146,378  were  white  males ;  144,840,  do.  females ;  364  were  coloured  males  ;  366, 
do.  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  73,150;  in  commerce,  1303;  in  manu 
factures  and  trades,  13,174;  in  mining,  77;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  41;  do. 
lakes,  rivers  and  canals,  146  ;  in  the  learned  professions,  1563. 

In  1840  there  were  in  the  State,  60,402  horses  and  mules;  384,341  neat  cattle ; 
1,681,819  eheep;  203,800  swine.  There  were  produced,  495,800  bushels  of 
wheat;  1,119,678  of  Indian  corn ;  230,993  of  rye;  54,781  of  barley;  288,416  of 
buckwheat ;  2,222,548  of  oats ;  8,869,751  of  potatoes ;  3,699,235  pounds  of  wool ; 
4,647,934  of  sugar;  836,739  tons  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy  amounted  to 
$2,008,737  ;  of  the  orchard,  to  $213,944 ;  of  lumber,  to  $349,939. 

The  exports  of  this  State,  for  the  year  ending  Sept.  30th,  1841,  were  $277,987, 
and  the  imports  were  246,739  ;  the  tonnage  entered  was  13,560,  and  the  tonnage 
cleared  of  the  same  amount. 

Vermont  is  an  agricultural,  rather  than  a  commercial  and  manufacturing  State. 


22  UNITED  STATES. 


There  were,  in  1840,  747  retail  stores,  with  a  capital  of  $2.964,060;  the  lumber 
trade  employed  a  capital  of  $45,506 ;.  home-made  or  family  goods  weffe  produced 
to  the  amount  of  $674?548 ;  95  woollen  factories  and  239  fulling-mills  produced 
articles  to  the  amount  of  $1,331,953,  with  a  capital  of  $1,406,950;  7  cotton  fac 
tories,  with  a  capital  of  $118,000,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $113,000. 
The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  in  the  State,  was 
$4,326,440. 

There  are  three  colleges  in  Vermont.  The  University  of  Vermont,  at  Burling 
ton,  was  founded  in  1791 ;  Middlebury  College,  at  Middlebury,  was  founded  in 
1800;  Norwich  University  was  founded  in  1834.  In  these  institutions  there 
were,  in  1840,  233  students.  There  were  in  the  State  46  academies,  with  4113 
students,  and  2402  common  and  primary  schools,  with  82,117  scholars.  There 
were  in  the  State  2270  white  persons,  over  twenty  years  of  age,  who  could  neither 
read  nor  write. 

The  principal  religious  denominations  are  the  Congregp.tionalists^Baptists  and 
Methodists.  In  1836,  the  Congregationalists  had  186  churches,  114  ministers, 
and  20,575  communicants ;  the  Baptists  had  125  churches,  78  ministers,  and 
10,525  communicants;  the  Methodists  had  75  itinerant  preachers;  the  Episcopa 
lians  had  one  bishop,  and  18  ministers.  Besides  these,  there  is  a  considerable 
number  of  Universalists  and  Christians,  and  a  few  Unitarians  and  Roman 
Catholics. 

There  are  19  banks  in  the  State,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $1,325,530,  and 
a  circulation  of  $1,966,812.  Vermont  has  a  State  debt  of  about  $250,000,  about 
one-half  of  which  was  contracted  in  the,  building  of  the  new  State-house. 

The  capital  of  the  State  is  the  little  town  of  Montpelier,  situated  in  a  wild  and 
rugged  region,  at  the  junction  of  the  north  and  south  branches  of  the  Onion 
river.  Here  is  a  handsome  State-house  of  granite,  recently  erected,  together 
with  the  public  buildings  of  the  county.  The  population  of  the  town  is  3725. 
West  of  the  mountains  are  several  flourishing  towns,  which  enjoy  the  advantage 
of  an  easy  communication  with  Lake  Champlain,and,  through  it,  with  the  Hudson 
and  St.  Lawrence.  St.  Albans  is  a  neatly  built  town,  on  a  small  bay,  with  an 
active  and  increasing  trade,  and  containing  700  inhabitants.  Further  south  is 
Burlington,  the  largest  town  in  the  State,  and  the  principal  commercial  place  on 
the  lake.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a  gently  rising  slope,  overlooking  the  lake, 
and  it  has  an  excellent  harbour.  Here  are  the  county  buildings,  and  the  Univer 
sity  of  Vermont ;  and  at  the  falls  of  the  Onion  river  there  are  some  manufactories. 
The  population  is  4271.  The  city  of  Vergennes,  with  1017  inhabitants,  is  acces 
sible  to  lake  vessels ;  and  the  American  squadron  on  the  lake  was  fitted  out  here 
in  1814.  The  falls  in  the  river  afford  some  good  mill-seats.  Above  Vergennes 
is  Middlehury,  which  contains  some  mills,,  and  a  college.  Marble  of  a  good 
quality  is  quarried  here.  Population,  3162.  Higher  up  the  river  is  Rutland, 
containing  quarries  of  marble,  several  manufacturing  establishments,  and  the 
public  buildings  of  the  county,  with  2708  inhabitants.  On  the  same  side  of  the 
mountains,  but  farther  south,  is  Bennington,near  which  are  found  limestone,  mar 
ble,  and  iron.  Here  are  some  mills  and  iron-works.  Population,  3429*  This 
place  is  noted  for  the  victory  gained  in  1777  by  General  Stark. 

Crossing  the  mountains,  and  entering  the  rich  valley  of  the  Connecticut,  we 
find  a  number  of  thriving  towns  and  neat  villages,  lining  its  fertile  meadows.  By 
means  of  several  short  canals,  boats  are  enabled  to  ascend  the  river  above  Nevv- 
bury  ;  the  principal  of  these  cuts  is  at  Bellows'  Falls,  where  a  fall  of  fifty  feet  is 
overcome  by  nine  locks,  and  an  excavation  of  half  a  mile  in  length.  Brattleboro' 
is  a  busy  place  of  2624  inhabitants,  and  containing  some  manufactories.  Windsor 
is  a  neat  town  in  a  picturesque  situation,  with  the  lofty  peaks  of  Aseutney  Moun 
tain  towering  above  it.  A  small  stream  which  runs  through  the  town,  serves  to 
carry  the  machinery  of  several  manufacturing  establishments  j  and  there  is  a  State 
prison  built  of  o'ranite,  and  conducted  on  the  Auburn  plan.  Population,  2744. 
At  the  little  village  of  BeMows'  Falls,  the  river  is  suddenly  contracted  from  300 
to  16  or  20  feet  wide,  and  rushes  with  great  impetuosity  through  a  narrow 
chasm  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  having  a  fall  of  nearly  fifty  feet  in  a  half  of  a  mile. 


MASSACHUSETTS.  23 

Woodstock,  with  3315  inhabitants,  lies  a  little  off  from  the  river;  and  higher  up, 
but  on  the  Connecticut,  is  Norwich :  civil  engineering  and  other  practical  sciences 
receive  particular  attention  in  the  institution  here,  styled  the  Norwich  University. 
Population,  2218, 

COMMONWEALTH  OF  MASSACHUSETTS, 

THIS  State  is  bounded  north  by  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire ;  east  by  the 
Atlantic  Ocean ;  south  by  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut ;  arid  west  by  New  York. 
The  average  extent,  from  north  to  south,  is  70  miles,  and  from  east  to  west  140 ; 
area,  8500  square  miles.  The  Green  Mountains  range  through  the  central  parts 
of  the  State,  from  north  to  south.  These  mountains,  in  their  whole  extent, 
abound  in  noble  elevations,  dark  green  forests,  pleasant  and  sheltered  valleys,  and 
an  infinite  variety  of  impressive  scenery.  The  highest  peaks  are  Saddle  Mt, 
Taghkonic,  Mt.  Tom,  Mt.  Holyoke,  &c. 

Massachusetts  has  no  large  rivers  wholly  within  her  bounds.  The  Merrimack 
passes  out  of  New  Hampshire  into  the  northern  division  of  the  State,  emptying 
into  the  sea  at  Newburyport.  The  Connecticut,  in  traversing  it  from  north  to 
south,  nearly  bisects  the  State.  The  Housatonic,  Charles  and  Ipswich,  Neponset 
and  Taunton,  though  they  have  short  courses,  are  pleasant  streams.  The  deep 
bay,  between  Cape  Ann  and  Cape  Cod,  which  has  given  name  to  the  State,  has 
caused  it  to  be  known  in  the  other  States  by  the  name  of  the  Bay  State.  Cape 
Ann  bounds  it  on  the  north,  and  Cape  Cod  on  the  south. 

Agriculture  receives  here  great  attention,  and  is  conducted  with  a  superior 
degree  of  skill  and  intelligence.  Massachusetts  is  no  doubt  the  best  cultivated 
State  in  the  Union.  Both  the  Legislature  and  agricultural  societies  have  made 
2jreat  efforts  to  encourage  a  skilful  and  thrifty  husbandry,  and  to  introduce  the 
best  foreign  breeds  of  sheep  and  cattle.  Commerce,  manufactures,  and  the  fish- 
ries,  are,  however,  the  great  objects  of  pursuit. 

The  population  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  in  1790,  was  388,727  ;  in  1800, 
422,845;  in  1810,  472,040;  in  1820,  523,287;  in  1830,  610,408;  in  1840, 
737,699.  Of  these,  360,679  were  white  males,  and  368,351  white  females ;  4654 
were  coloured  males,  and  4015  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture, 
37,837;  in  commerce,  8063;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  85,176;  in  navigating 
the  ocean,  27,153;  do.  rivers  and  canals,  372;  in  mining,  499;  in  the  learned 
Drofessions,  3804. 

In  1840,  there  were  in  the  State,  61,484  horses  or  mules ;  282,574  neat  cattle ; 
378,226  sheep ;  143,221  swine.  There  were  produced,  157,923  bushels  of  wheat ; 
536,014  of  rye;  1,809,192  of  Indian  corn;  87,000  of  buckwheat;  165,319  of 
barley ;  1,319,680  of  oats ;  5,385,652  of  potatoes ;  and  569,395  tons  of  hay.  The' 
aroducts  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $2,373,299 ;  of  the  orchard,  $389,177. 

Massachusetts  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  fisheries.  There  were  produced, 
n  1840,  389,715  quintals  of  dried  or  smoked  fish  ;  124,755  barrels  of  pickled  fish ; 
3,630,972  gallons  of  spermaceti  oil ;  3,364,725  gallons  of  whale,  or  other  fish  oil. 
tn  its  shipping  Massachusetts  is  the  second  State  in  the  Union,  being  inferior 
only  'to  New  York. 

The  exports  in  1840  amounted  to  $10*1 86,261,  and  the  imports  to  $16,513,858. 
Ptiere  were  241  commercial  and  123  commission  houses  engaged  in  foreign  trade,- 
with  a  capital  of  $13,881,517;  3625  retail  dry-goods  and  other  stores,  with  a 
capital  of  $12,705,038;  the  lumber  trade  employed  a  capital  of  $1,022,360;  the 
fisheries  employed  a,  capital  of  $11,725,850, 

The  manufactures  of  Massachusetts  ai£  equally  distinguished  with  its  com 
merce.  Home-made  or  family  goods  were  .produced  to  the  amount  of  $231,942; 
27  fulling-mills  and  14^4  woollen  manufactories  produced  articles  to  the  amount 
}f  $7,082,898,  employing  a  capital  of  $4,179,850;  278  cotton  factories  produced 
irticles  to  the  amount  of  $16,553,423,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $17,414,099; 
[532  saddleries  and  other  manufactories  of  leather  produced  articles  to  the  amount 
f  $10,553,826,  employing  a  capital  of  $3,318,544;  flouring,  grist  and  saw-mills 

14-*  V 


24  UNITED  STATES. 


manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $1,77 J, 185, and  employed  a  capital  of  $1,440, 152; 
ships  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $1,349,994.  The  total  amount  of  capital  em 
ployed  in  manufactures  was  $41,774,446. 

Various  works  of  internal  improvement  have  been  executed,  which  afford 
great  convenience  and  facility  to  travelling  and  transportation.  They  are, 
the  Middlesex  Canal,  which  extends  from  Boston  to  the  Merrimack  river,  26 
miles;  the  Blackstone  Canal,  from  Worcester  to  Providence,  R.'L,  45  miles ; 
and  the  Hampden  and  Hampshire  Canal,  20  miles  in  length,  which  is  a  continua 
tion  of  the  Farmington  Canal,  from  the  Connecticut  north  boundary  to  North 
ampton. 

The  following  rail-roads  have  been  constructed,  viz. :  from  Quincy  to  Neponset 
river,  3  miles ;  the  first  work  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States.  From  Boston  to 
Lowell,  26  miles,  with  a  continuation  through  Nashua  to  Concord,  N.H. ;  a  branch  of 
this  line  from  Wilmington  is  carried,  through  Andover  and  Exeter,  to  North  Ber 
wick,  Me.,  60  miles.  From  Boston  to  Providence,  42  miles,  and  thence  to  Sto- 
nington,  Ct. ;  a  branch  line  extends  from  Mansfield,  through  Taunton,  to  New 
Bedford,  33  miles.  From  Boston  to  Worcester,  43  miles;  then  commences  the 
Western  Rail-road,  through  Springfield  to  the  west  boundary  of  the  State,  where 
it  connects  with  Albany,  Hudson  and  Troy,  by  roads  lately  finished.  From 
Worcester  to  Norwich,  Ct.,  59  miles.  The  Eastern  Rail-road,  through  Salem 
and  Portsmouth,  to  Portland,  Me.,  104  miles.  The  Fitchburg  Rail-road,  leading 
through  Concord,  is  in  progress.  A  rail-road  from  Springfield  to  Hartford,  26 
miles,  is  on  the  point  of  being  completed. 

Massachusetts  has  three  colleges,  and  two  theological  seminaries.  Harvard 
University,  at  Cambridge,  is  the  oldest  and  best  endowed  seminary  in  the  coun 
try,  having  been  founded  in  1638,  about  eighteen  years  after  the  first  landing  on 
the  rock  of  Plymouth;  Williams  College,  at  Williamstown,  in  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  State,  was  founded  in  1793,  and  is  flourishing:  Amherst  College,  at 
Amherst,  was  founded  in  1821,  and  has  had  an  unexampled  growth,  ranking  with 
the  first  colleges  in  New  England.  The  theological  seminary  at  Andover,  under 
the  direction  of  the  Congregationalists,  has  been  munificently  endowed  by  a  few 
individuals,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respectable  of  the  kind  in  the  United 
States.  It  was  opened  for  students  in  the  autumn  of  1808.  The  Baptists  have 
a  flourishing  theological  institution  at  Newtown,  founded  in  1825.  All  these 
institutions  had,  in  1840,  769  students.  There  were  251  academies  and  grammar 
schools  in  the  State,  with  16,746  students;  and  3362  common  and  primary 
schools,  with  160,257  scholars.  There  were  4448  white  persons,  over  twenty 
ears  of  -age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write.  These,  as  in  most  cases  in  the 
tales,  were  principally  made  up  of  foreign  immigrants. 

The  principal  religious  denominations  are  Congregationalists,  Unitarians,  Bap 
tists,  Methodists,  Episcopalians,  and  Universalists.  In  1836,  the  Orthodox  Con 
gregationalists  had  about  323  churches, 291  ministers, and  46,950  communicants; 
the  Unitarians  had  about  120  ministers;  the  Baptists  had  129  churches,  160 
ministers,  and  20,200  communicants;  the  Methodists  had  87  ministers;  the 
Episcopalians  had  one  bishop,  and  37  ministers;  the  Universalists  had  100  con 
gregations,  and  44  ministers ;  the  Friends  had  18  societies ;  the  Roman  Catholics 
had  one  bishop,  and  11  ministers.  Besides  these,  there  are  a  few  Presbyterians, 
Christians,  Swedenborgian  or  New  Jerusalem,  and  Shakers. 

Boston,  the  capital  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  principal  city  of  New  Englaffd, 
is  pleasantly  situated  upon  a  small  hilly  peninsula  on  Boston  Bay,  with  a  safe 
and  commodious  harbour,  deep  enough  to  admit  the  largest  vessels,  capable  of 
containing  500  ships  at  once,  and  so  completely  landlocked  as  to  be  perfectly 
secure.  Several  forts,  erected  on  these  islands,  command  the  approaches  to  the 
city.  Beside  the  main  peninsula,  the  city  comprises  another  peninsula,  called 
South  Boston,  connected  with  the  former  by  two  free  bridges ;  and  the  island  of 
East  Boston,  with  which  communication  is  kept  up  by  steam  ferry-boats.  Four 
wooden  bridges  also  connect  the  city  with  Charlestown  and  Cambridge;  a  solid 
causeway  of  earth  unites  it  to  Brookline;  and  a  narrow  neck  of  land,  which  has 
been  raised  and  widened  by  artificial  constructions,  joins  it  to  Roxbury. 


MASSACHUSETTS. 


25 


The  population,  in  1800,  was  24,937;  in  1820,  43,298;  in  1830,  64,392;  and 
n  1840,  93,383 :  but,  if  the  adjacent  towns  are  included,  which  in  fact  form  so 
nany  suburbs  of  the  city,  the  population  exceeds  120,000.    The  State-house, 
renting  a  fine  park  of  75  acres,  called  the  Common,  and  standing  on  the  most! 
elevated  part  of  the  city;   the  market-house,  a  handsome  granite  edifice,  two 
stories  high,  536  feet  by  50 ;   the  court-house,  which  is  also  of  granite,  176 
eef  long,  57  high,  54  wide;   the  city  hall,  or  old  State-house,  and  Faneuil] 
Hall,  more  interesting  from  historical  associations  than  from  their  architectural 
merits ;  and  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  a  handsome  granite  building, 
168  feet  in  length;  the  Institution  for  the  Blind,  in  which  are  about  50  pupils; 
the  Boston  Athenaeum,  which  has  a  library  of  30,000  volumes,  and  a  picture-! 
gallery ;  the  Medical  School  of  Harvard  University ;  the  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary ; 
the  Houses  of  Industry,  Reformation,  and  Correction,  are  the  principal  public 
buildings  that  deserve  mention. 

The  bridges  and  wharves  are  remarkable  for  their  great  length.  The  Canal  ] 
bridge  is  2800  feet  long;  the  West  Boston  bridge,  2760  feet;  and  some  of  the  I 
others  exceed  1500  feet.  The  wharves  have  been  constructed  in  a  somewhat 
similar  manner.  Central  wharf,  1380  feet  long,  by  150  wide,  contains  54  large 
warehouses,  four  stories  high.  Long  wharf,  1800  long,  by  200  in  width,  has  76 1 
warehouses,  equally  spacious.  Commercial  wharf  is  1100  feet,  by  160,  with  a] 
range  of  34  granite  warehouses. 

As  a  commercial  city,  Boston  is  the  second  in  the  Union,  in  amount  of 'business. 
[n  1840,  the  shipping  belonging  to  the  port  amounted  to  220,243  tons;  value  of 
imports,  $16,000,000;  exports,  $10,000,000.  Banking  institutions,  25,  with  an 
aggregate  capital  of  $17,800,000;  insurance  companies,  25,  with  a  capital  of 
$6,000,000 ;  36  newspapers,  12  of  which  are  published  daily.  This  city  has ' 
ever  been  distinguished  for  its  attention  to  education.  The  free  schools  are,  the 
Latin  School,  the  High  School,  nine  grammar  and  writing  schools,  57  primary 
schools,  and  one  African  school  for  blacks.  There  are  also  numerous  private  I 
schools  for  children  of  both  sexes.  Boston  has  106  literary  and  charitable  socie 
ties.  The  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sfciences,  the  Historical  Society,  and 
the  Natural  History  Society,  are  among  the  learned  societies.  There  are  75  i 
hurches,  2  theatres,  an  Odeon,  &c. 

Charlestown,  which  is  connected  with  Boston  by  three  bridges,  stands  on  a 
lofty  peninsula,  the  centre  of  which  is  occupied  by  Bunker  Hill.  Though  irre 
gularly  built,  it  commands  many  fine  views  of  the  harbour  and  the  surrounding 
country.  The  Bunker  Hill  Monument  is  an  obelisk  of  granite,  rising  to  the  height 
of  220  feet  from  its  base,  which  is  50  feet  square.  The  United  States'  Dock 
yard,  comprising  a  number  of  store-houses,  arsenals,  magazines,  barracks,  and  [ 
slips,  with  a  graving  or  dry-dock,  built  at  a  cost  of  $677,000,  covers  an  extent  of 
about  sixty  acres.  The  population  of  the  town  is  11,484.  Adjoining  Charles- 
town  is  Cambridge,  the  seat  of  Harvard  University,  with  8,409  inhabitants.  At  | 
Watertown,  adjoining  Cambridge,  there  is  an  United  States'  Arsenal. 

To  the  south-west  is  the  little  town  of  Brighton,  noted  for  its  cattle  market,  in] 
which,  in  1840,  the  sales  of  cattle,  calves,  sheep,  and  swine,  amounted  toj 
almost  $2,500,000.  Lynn  is  a  neat  and  thriving  town,  whose  inhabitants,  be 
side  making  2,500,000  pair  of  shoes  annually,  carry  on  the  cod  and  whale  fish-  j 
eries.  Population  in  1840,  9367.  A  long  beach  of  smooth,  hard  sand, 
terminates  in  the  rocky  little  peninsula  of  Nahant,  a  favourite  watering-place! 
of  the  neighbouring  towns.  Marblehead,  long  the  principal  seat  of  the  cod 
fishery,  has  of  late  turned  its  attention  partly  to  mechanical  industry,  particularly 
to  shoemaking,  which  occupies  the  winter  leisure  of  many  of  its  hardy  fishermen. 
100  sail  of  small  vessels  are  employed  in  the  fishing,  coasting,  and  foreign  trade. 
Population,  5575. 

The  city  of  Salem,  with  15,082  inhabitants,  is  noted  for  the  commercial  enter 
prise  and  industrious  spirit  of  its  citizens.  It  was  long  largely  engaged  in  the 
East  India  and  China  trade,  and  its  coasting  and  foreign  trade  is  still  consider- 1 
able ;  but  it  labours  under  the  disadvantage  of  not  having  a  sufficient  depth  of 
water  for  the  largest  vessels.  The  inhabitants  have  lately  engaged  in  the  whale 


29 


26  UNITED  STATES. 


fishery,  in  which  they  employ  13  ships;  the  whole  shipping  of  the  port  amounts 
to  37,021  tons.  The  city  is  neatly  built,  and  it  contains  an  athenaeum,  a  marine 
museum,  a  valuable  collection  of  natural  and  artificial  curiosities,  belonging  to 
the  East  India  Marine  Society,  which  is  composed  wholly  of  nautical  men ;  8 
banking  institutions,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $2,350,000  ;  3  insurance  com 
panies,  with  a  capital  of  $570,000 ;  18  churches,  and  several  charitable  institu 
tions.  The  manufactures  are  also  considerable.  Beverly,  connected  with  Salem 
by  a  bridge  1500  feet  in  length,  has  4689  inhabitants,  chiefly  occupied  in  com 
merce  and  the  fisheries ;  and  Danvers  is  a  busy  town,  with  a  population  of  5020, 
containing  21  tanneries,  a  rolling  and  slitting  mill,  &c.  Cape  Anne,  the.  north 
point  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  is  occupied  by  the  fishing-town  of  Gloucester :  ton 
nage  owned  here,  17,072 ;  population,  6350.  A  few  miles  north  of  the  cape  is 
the  handsome  town  of  Newburyport,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Merrimack.  Its 
foreign  commerce  was  formerly  more  extensive  than  it  is  at  present,  but  its  trade 
is  still  important ;  and  the  whale,  mackerel  and  cod  fisheries  are  also  carried  on 
from  this  place:  tonnage,  23,965.  Population,  6716. 

The  south  point  of  the  great  bay  from  which  the  State  takes  its  name,  is  Cape 
Cod,  a  long  irregular  peninsula,  of  75  miles  in  length,  by  from  5  to  20  in  breadth. 
It  consists  chiefly  of  hills  of  white  sand,  mostly  destitute  of  vegetation.  The 
houses  are  in  some  places  built  upon  stakes  driven  into  the  ground,  with  open 
spaces  between,  for  the  sand  to  drift  through.  The  cape,  notwithstanding,  is  well 
inhabited,  and  supports  a  large  population,  the  majority  of  which  subsists  by  the 
fisheries  and  the  coasting-trade.  South  of  Cape  Cod  is  the  island  of  Nantucket, 
containing  the  town  of  the  same  name,  with  9012  inhabitants,  all  crowded  toge 
ther  close  upon  the  harbour,  which  lies  on  the  northern  side.  The  island  is  merely 
a  sand-bank,  15  miles  in  length,  by  about  5  or  6  in  breadth,  slightly  elevated 
above  the  ocean.  There  are,  however,  some  productive  spots ;  and  about  7000 
sheep  and  500  cows  are  raised,  which  feed  in  one  pasture,  the  land  being  held  in 
common.  The  inhabitants  are  distinguished  for  their  enterprise.  They  have 
about  75  ships  engaged  in  the  whale-fishery,  and  a  considerable  number  of  small 
vessels  in  the  coasting-trade ;  34,342  tons  of  shipping  are  owned  here,  and  2000 
men  and  boys  belonging  to  the  island  are  employed  in  navigation.  Martha's 
Vineyard  is  somewhat  longer  than  Nantucket,  and  contains  considerable  wood 
land.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  pilots  and  fishermen;  but  some  salt  and 
woollen  cloth  are  made.  Holmes'  Hole,  a  safe  and  capacious  harbour  on  the 
northern  coast,  is  an  important  station  for  ships  waiting  for  favourable  weather  to 
pass  Cape  Cod. 

Fifty-seven  miles  south  of  Boston,  and  situated  on  Buzzard's  Bay,  is  New 
Bedford,  the  great  seat  of  the  whale-fishery.  It  is  a  handsomely  built  town,  and 
has  a  safe  and  capacious  harbour.  The  population,  in  1840,  amounted  to  12,087. 
The  shipping  of  the  district,  which  includes  several  other  towns  on  the  bay,  is 
89,089  tons ;  nearly  the  whole  of  this  is  employed  in  the  whale-fishery ;  and  in 
1841,  54,860  barrels  of  sperm  and  49,555  of  whale  oil  were  br.ought  in  here. 
Capital  employed  in  the  fisheries,  $4,512,000.  There  are  4  banks,  with  a  capital 
of  $1,300,000 ;  3  insurance  offices,  14  churches,  an  academy,  &c.  A  rail-road,  24 
miles  long,  connects  this  place  with  Taunton. 

Lowell  is  the  greatest  manufacturing  town  in  the  United  States,  and  may  be 
considered  the  Manchester  of  America.  It  was  commenced  in  1813,  but  its  prin 
cipal  increase  dates  from  1822;  it  now  contains  25,000  inhabitants.  In  1844, 
the  capital  employed  in  its  various  manufactures  amounted  to  $10,850,000.  Its 
cotton  and  woollen  facjories  alone  give  employment  to  near  9000  operatives,  the 
greater  part  of  whom  are  females.  About  24,000,000  pounds  of  cotton  are 
expended  annually  in  the  production  of  76,000,000  yards  of  cloth.  The  average 
amount  of  wages  paid  per  month  is  $138,600.  The  supply  of  water-power  from 
the  Merrimack  is  convenient  and  unfailing.  Lowell  also  contains  powder-mills, 
flannel-works,  grist  and  saw-mills,  glass-works,  &c. 

Among  the  other  places  noted  for  manufactures  are  Fall  River  village,  near  the 
mouth  of  Taunton  river ;  this  town  was  almost  wholly  destroyed  by  fire  on  the 
2d  of  July,  1843,  but  was  almost  immediately  rebuilt;  the  loss  was  estimated  at 


RHODE  ISLAND.  27 


$700,000.  Taunton,  on  the  river  of  the  same  name,  and  32  miles  south-west 
from  Boston;  Worcester,  west  from  Boston;  Springfield  and  Northampton,  both 
on  Connecticut  river,  the  former  on  its  eastern,  and  the  latter  on  its  western  side ; 
Pittsfield  in  the  western,  and  Adams  in  the  north-western,  part  of  the  State. 


STATE   OF   RHODE   ISLAND. 

RHODE  ISLAND  is  bounded  north  and  east  by  Massachusetts,  south  by  the  Atlan 
tic  Ocean,  and  west  by  Connecticut.  Its  extent,  from  north  to  south,  is  about  48 
miles,  and  from  east  to  west,  42 ;  area,  1500  square  miles.  The  face  of  the 
country  is  mostly  level,  except  in  the  north-west,  part  of  which  is  hilly  and  rocky. 
The  soil  is  generally  better  adapted  to  grazing  than  tillage.  A  large  proportion 
of  the  north-western  and  western  part  of  the  State  has  a  thin  and  lean  soil,  but 
the  islands  and  country  bordering  on  Narragansett  Bay  are  of  great  fertility,  and 
are  celebrated  for  their  fine  cattle,  and  the  abundance  and  excellence  of  their  but 
ter  and  cheese.  The  products  are  corn,  rye,  baxley,  oats,  and  some  wheat. 

The  island  of  Rhode  Island  is  celebrated  for  its  beautiful,  cultivated  appear 
ance,  abounding  in  smooth  swells,  and  being  divided  with  great  uniformity  into 
well-tilled  fields.  The  climate  much  resembles  that  of  Massachusetts  and  Con 
necticut  in  its  salubrity :  the  parts  of  the  State  adjacent  to  the  sea  are  favoured 
with  refreshing  breezes  in  summer,  and  its  winter  is  the  most  mild  of  any  of  the 
New  England  States. 

The  rivers  are  small,  with  courses  of  not  more  than  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  and 
discharging  an  inconsiderable  quantity  of  water ;  but  as  they  descend  from  two 
hundred  to  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  are  steady  in  their  supply  of  water, 
they  furnish  a  great  number  of  valuable  mill-seats ;  and  they  have  been  exten 
sively  applied  to  manufacturing  purposes.  The  Pawtucket,  Pawtuxet,  and  Paw- 
caiuck,  are  the  principal  streams. 

The  population  of  Rhode  Island,  in  1790,  was  58,825;  in  1800,  69,122;  in 
1810,  76,931 ;  in  1820,  83,059;  in  1830,  97,212;'  in  1840,  108,830.  Of  these 
51,362  were  white  males;  54,225  white  females;  1413  were  coloured  males; 
1825  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  16,617;  in  commerce,  1348; 
in  manufactures  and  trades,  21,271 ;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  1717 ;  in  the  learned 
professions,  457.  It  is  the  only  State  in  the  Union  in  which  the  number  employe.d 
in  manufactures  and  trades  exceeds  those  employed  in  agriculture. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  8024  horses  and  mules ;  36,891  neat  cattle; 
90,146  sheep;  30,659  swine.  There  were  produced  3098  bushels  of  wheat; 
34,521  of  rye;  450,498  of  Indian  cojn;  2979  of  buckwheat;  66,490  of  barley; 
171,517  of  oats;  911,973  of  potatoes;  183,830  pounds  of  wool. 

The  exports  for  the  year  ending  September  30th,  1841,  was  $278,465  ;  and  the 
imports  were  $339,592.  The  tonnage  entered  was  25,195  tons,  and  the  tonnage 
cleared  was  21,698  tons. 

The  manufactures  of  this  State,  small  as  it  is,  are  deserving  of  particular 
notice.  According  to  the  census  of  1840,  home-made  or  family  goods  were  pro 
duced  to  the  amount  of  $57,180 ;  41  woollen  factories,  with  45  fulling-mills, 
produced  goods  to  the  amount  of  $842,172,  employing  a  capital  of  $685,350; 
209  cotton  factories  produced  goods  to  the  amount  of  $7,116,792,  employing  a 
capital  of  $7,360,000;  various  mills  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $83,683, 
employing  a  capital  of  $152,310;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $41,500; 
four  distilleries  produced  885,000  gallons  of  distilled  spirits,  and  3  breweries 
produced  89,600  gallons  of  beer,  with  a  capital  of  $139,000;  capital  employed 
in  the  fisheries,  $1,077,157.  The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufac 
tures  was  $10,696,136. 

Brown  University,  at  Providence,  founded  at.  Warwick,  in  1764,  and  per 
manently  located  at  Providence,  in  1770,  is  the  only  college  in  the  State,  and  is 
a  flourishing  institution.  The  president  and  a  majority  of  the  trustees  are  required 
to  be  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  The  common  schools  of  this  State,  formerly 
less  attended  to  than  in  the  other  New  England  States,  have  latterly  received 


28  UNITED  STATES. 


much  attention,  and  are  improving.  In  1843,  there  was  expended  for  instruction 
in  the  State,  $42,944.  .The  State  has  a  permanent  school-fund  amounting  to  over 
$50,000.  The  sum  of  $25,000  annually  is  paid  from  the  State  treasury  to  the 
school  committees  of  the  several  towns,  for  the  support  of  the  public  schools. 
In  1840,  there  were  in  Brown  University,  and  in  a  High-School,  which  partakes 
of  the  nature  of  a  college,  324  students.  There  were  52  academies  or  grammar- 
schools,  with  3664  students;  434  common  and  primary  schools,  with  17,355 
scholars. 

The  principal  religious  denominations  are  Baptists,  Congregationalists,  Epis 
copalians,  and  Methodists. 

Until  recently,  the  only  Constitution  of  this  State  was  the  Charter  granted  by 
Charles  II.,  in  1663.  Several  attempts  have  been  made  within  the  last  20  years 
to  form  a  Constitution  more  suitable  to  the  spirit  of  the  age,  all  of  which  failed 
until  November,  1842,  when,  after  a  display  of  much  party  rancour,  a  new  Con 
stitution  was  adopted  by  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters. 

The  principal  city  of  Rhode  Island  is  Providence,  the  second  in  New  England 
in  point  of  population,  wealth,  and  commerce.  It  is  situated  at  the  head  of  Nar- 
ragansett  Bay,  and  is  accessible  to  the  largest  merchant- vessels  :  it  carries  on  an 
active  coasting  and  foreign  trade.  The  population  of  the  city  increased  from 
16,833  in  1830,  to  23,171  in  1840.  Here  are  15  banks  with  a  capital  of  about 
$5,000,000 ;  also  a  number  of  cotton-mills,  bleacheries,  dye-houses,  machine- 
shops,  iron-founderies,  &c.  Among  the  public  buildings  are  the  State  House, 
the  Halls  of  Brown  University,  the  arcade,  a  handsome  granite  edifice,  17 
churches,  &c.  Steam-boats,  of  the  largest  and  finest  class,  keep  up  a  daily  com 
munication  with  New  York,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year ;  the  Blackstone 
canal,  and  Boston  and  Providence  rail-road,  terminate  here ;  the  latter  is  conti 
nued  to  Stonington,  in  Connecticut.  Tawtucket- River,  above  Providence,  is  the 
seat  of  extensive  manufactures.  North  Providence,  on  the  Massachusetts  bor 
der,  contains  the  manufacturing  village  of  Pawtucket,  opposite  which  is  the 
town  of  Pawtucket  in  that  State.  The  whole  manufacturing  district  is  also 
commonly  called  Pawtucket,  and  it  contains  a  number  of  cotton-mills,  beside 
machine-shops,  calico-printing  works,  iron-works,  &c.  There  is  a  population  of 
about  8000  souls  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  Above  this  the  Pawtucket  takes  the 
name  of  the  Blackstone,  and  furnishes  mill-seats  which  have  created  the  village 
of  Woonsocket  Falls,  also  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  in  the  townships 
of  Smithfield  and  Cumberland.  There  are  also  manufacturing  establishments  in 
other  parts  of  Smithfield.  Warwick,  on  the  Pawtuxet  River  and  Narragansett 
Bay,  is  a  manufacturing  and  fishing  town,  with  6726  inhabitants. 

Bristol,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  bay,  is  a  busy  town,  with  3490  inhabitants 
actively  engaged  in  the  foreign  and  coasting  trade  and  whale  fishery.  Nearly  at 
the  south  end  of  the  island  of  Rhode  Island  is  Newport,  once  one  of  the  princi 
pal  towns  in  the  colonies,  and  still  a  favourite  summer  resort,  on  account  of  its 
pleasant  situation,  the  refreshing  coolness  of  the  sea-breezes,  and  its  advantages 
for  sea-bathing.  The  harbour  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world,  being  safe,  capa 
cious,  and  easy  of  access,  and  is  defended  by  an  important  work  called  Fort 
Adams;  but  trade  has  mostly  deserted  the  town,  and  now  centres  chiefly  in  Pro 
vidence.  Population,  8321.  Prudence  and  Conanicut  Islands  in  the  Bay,  and 
Block  Island,  at  the  entrance  of  Long  Island  Sound,  belong  to  this  State.  The 
latter  is  destitute  of  a  harbour;  the  inhabitants,  1069  in  number,  are  chiefly  fish 
ermen. 


STATE    OF    CONNECTICUT. 

THIS  State  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Massachusetts,  south  by  Long  Island 
Sound,  east  by  Rhode  Island,  and  west  by  New  York.  It  is  90  miles  in  length, 
70  miles  in  breadth,  and  contains  4764  square  miles.  The  principal  rivers  are, 
the  Connecticut,  Housatonic,  Thames,  Farmington,  and  Naugatuck.  The  face 
of  the  country  is  generally  hilly,  and,  in  the  north-western  parts,  mountainous. 
The  soil  is  good,  and  the  industrious  inhabitants  have  not  neglected  its  cultiva- 


CONNECTICUT.  29 


tion.  The  valley  of  Connecticut  River,  from  Middletown  to  the  northern  bound 
ary  of  the  State,  is  a  luxuriant  meadow,  chequered  by  patches  of  wheat,  corn, 
and  other  grain.  Some  other  parts  of  the  State  are  well  cultivated  and  fruitful, 
and  some  portions  are  beautiful,  as  well  from  the  gifts  of  nature  as  the  improve 
ments  of  art. 

The  chief  productions  are  Indian  corn,  rye,  wheat,  in  many  parts,  oats,  harley, 
buckwheat,  flax  in  large  quantities,  &c.  Orchards  are  numerous,  and  cider  is 
made  for  exportation.  The  State  is,  however,  generally  better  adapted  to  grazing 
than  tillage,  and  its  fine  meadows  and  pastures  enable  the  farmer  to  feed  great 
numbers  of  neat  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep.  The  quantity  of  butter  and  cheese, 
annually  made,  is  great,  and  of  well-known  excellence. 

The  whale  and  other  fisheries  are  carried  on  from  several  of  the  ports  in  this 
State ;  and  there  are  valuable  shad  fisheries  on  the  larger  rivers. 

The  population,  in  1790,  was  273,946;  in  1800,  251,002;  in  1810,  261,942; 
in  1820,  275,248 ;  in  1830,  291,711 ;  in  1840,  300,015.  Of  these,  148,300  were 
white  males;  153,556  white  females;  3881  were  free  coloured  males;  4212  free 
coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  56,995;  in  commerce,  2743;  in 
manufactures  and  trades,  27,932 ;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  2700 ;  do.  rivers  and 
canals,  431 ;  in  the  learned  professions  and  engineers,  1697. 

According  to  the  census  of  1840,  there  were  in  the  State,  34,650  horses  and 
mules;  238,650  neat  cattle;  403,467  sheep;  131,961  swine.  There  were  pro 
duced  87,009  bushels  of  wheat;  737,424  of  rye;  33,759  of  barley;  1,500,441 
of  Indian  corn;  303,043  of  buckwheat;  1,453,262  of  oats;  3,414,238  of  pota 
toes;  889,870  pounds  of  wool;  471,657  of  tobacco;  426,704  tons  of  hay; 
17,538  pounds  of  silk  cocoons.  The  products  of  the  dairy  amounted  to  $1,376,534, 
and  of  the  orchard  to  $296,232;  the  value  of  lumber  was  $147,841 ;  and  2666 
gallons  of  wine  were  made. 

The  exports  of  this  State,  in  1840,  amounted  to  $518,210 ;  and  the  imports  to 
$227,072.  Capital  employed  in  the  fisheries,  $1,301,640. 

The  manufactures  of  Connecticut  are  still  more  extensive  than  its  commerce. 
Home-made  or  family  manufactures  amounted,  in  1840,  to  $226,162  ;  there  were 
119  woollen  manufactories,  producing  articles  to  the  amount  of  $2,494,313,  em 
ploying  a  capital  of  $1,931,335;  116  cotton  factories  produced  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $2,715,964,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $3,152,000;  408  saddle,  shoe, 
and  other  leather  manufactories,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $2,017,931, 
employing  a  capital  of  $829,267 ;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $428,900. 
The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  in  the  State  was  $13,- 
669,139. 

This  State  has  3  colleges.  Yale  College,  at  New  Haven,  founded  in  1701, 
is  one  of  the  oldest  colleges  in  the  United  States.  Washington  College,  at  Hart 
ford,  is  under  the  direction  of  the  Episcopalians,  founded  in  1826.  The  Wes- 
leyan  University,  founded  in  1831,  is  under  the  direction  of  the  Methodists.  In 
1840,  the  three  colleges  had  700  students,  more  than  two-thirds  of  whom  were 
in  Yale  College;  there  were  127  academies  and  grammar-schools,  with  4685 
students.  The  best  endowed  of  these  are  Bacon  Academy,  at  Colchester,  and 
the  Episcopal  Academy,  at  Cheshire.  There  were  1619  common  and  primary 
schools,  with  65,739  scholars ;  526  persons,  over  20  years  of  age,  could  neither 
read  nor  write  ;  the  least  number  in  proportion  to  its  inhabitants  in  any  State  in 
the  Union.  This  State  has  the  largest  school-fund  in  proportion  to  its  population 
of  any  State  in  the  Union  ;  it  amounted,  in  1842,  to  $2,044,354. 

The  principal  religious  denominations  are  the  Congregationalists,  Baptists, 
Methodists,  Episcopalians,  with  a  few  Roman  Catholics,  Universalists,  and  Uni 
tarians.  In  1836,  the  Congregationalists  had  232  churches,  271  ministers,  and 
29,579  communicants  ;  the  Baptists  had  92  churches,  77  ministers,  and  10,039 
communicants;  the  Methodists  had  73  ministers;  the  Episcopalians  had  one 
bishop  and  63  ministers. 

The  chief  works  of  internal  improvement  in  Connecticut  are,  the  Farmington 
canal,  extending  from  New  Haven  to  Northampton,  Mass.,  78  miles;  the  rail 
road  from  Stonington  to  Providence,  45  miles,  chiefly  in  Rhode  Island ;  this  work 
connects  with  the  Long  Island  rail-road  at  Greenport,  by  a  steam  ferry  of  24 


30  UNITED  STATES. 


miles.  The  Norwich  and  Worcester,  59  miles.  The  New  Haven  and  Hartford, 
36  miles ;  now  extended  to  Springfield,  Mass.  The  Housatonic,  from  Bridgeport 
to  West  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  96  miles.  The  three  last  connect  with  the  great 
rail-road  system  leading  from  Boston  to  Buffalo. 

New  Haven,  a  semi-capital  of  the  State,  is  situated  on  a  bay  of  the  same  name. 
The  harbour  is  safe  and  spacious,  but  it  is  shallow  and  gradually  filling  up.  The 
city  is  regularly  laid  out  and  neatly  built.:  many  of  the  houses  have  fine  gardens; 
some  of  the  principal  streets  are  bordered  by  rows  of  shade  trees,  and  the  princi 
pal  square  is  finely  ornamented  in  the  same  manner.  Among  the  public  buildings 
are  the  State-house,  the  State-hospital,  the  Halls  of  Yale  College,  ten  churches, 
&c.  One  of  the  wharves  here  is  3943  feet  in  length.  The  coasting  and  foreign 
trade  of  New  Haven  is  considerable :  steam-boats  and  packets  keep  up  a  regular 
communication  with  New  York ;  and  there  are  some  extensive  manufactories  of 
fire-arms,  carriages,  &c.  Population,  12,960.  Bridgeport  is  a  thriving  town  near 
the  mouth  of  Housatonic  river,  with  4570  inhabitants  ;  it  contains  6  churches,  2 
banks,  a  number  of  manufacturing  establishments,  8  academies,  and  13  schools. 
The  capital  employed  in  manufactures  amounts  to  half  a  million  dollars.  The 
Housatonic  rail-road  commences  here.  In  the  interior  are  Danbury  and  Litch- 
field,  with  some  manufactures. 

Hartford,  also  a  semi-capital  of  the  State,  is  built  on  the  west  bank  01  Con 
necticut  river.  It  stands  in  a  fertile  district,  abounding  in  neat  villages,  which 
enjoy  the  advantages  of  numerous  mill-seats  and  easy  communication  with  the 
sea ;  population  in  1840, 94*68.  Steamboats  run  daily  between  Hartford  and  New 
York,  and  several  small  steam-packets  and  tow-boats  are  employed  on  the  river 
above.  The  principal  branches  of  industry  are  printing  and  publishing,  shoe- 
making,  the  manufacturing  of  saddlery,  cards,  and  wire,  wearing  apparel,  &c» 
Among  the  public  buildings  are  the  State-house,  city  hall,  13  churches,  5  banks, 
savings  bank,  &c.,  the  Asylum  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  retreat  for  the  insane,  &c. 
The  Asylum  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  the  first  institution  of  the  kind  established  in 
America,  was  founded  in  1816,  and  has  about  140  pupils,  who  receive  instruction 
in  various  branches  of  useful  learning,  and  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  useful  arts. 
Washington  College,  founded  in  1824,  has  7  professors  and  72  students. 

Middletown,  a  few  miles  below  Hartford,  is  accessible  to  vessels  drawing  ten 
feet  of  water,  and  its  coasting  and  foreign  trade  is  considerable.  The  situation  of 
the  town  is  pleasant,  and  the  houses  and  public  buildings  neat.  Its  manufactures 
comprise  cotton  and  woollen  goods,  powder,  cordage,  paper,  machinery,  &c. : 
population,  3511.  Say  brook,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut  river,  was  the  first 
spot  occupied  by  Europeans  in  Connecticut,  and  the  ground  was  regularly  laid 
out  for  a  large  city  ;  but  the  anticipations  of  its  founders  have  not  been  realised. 

New  London,  near  the  mouth  of  Thames  river,  is  the  principal  commercial 
place  in  Connecticut,  with  one  of  the  best  harbours  in  the  country.  Its  trade  is 
considerable;  upwards  of  fifty  ships  sail  hence  to  the  whale-fishery.  Population, 
5519.  Norwich,  13  miles  above  New  London,  is  a  flourishing  manufacturing 
city.  The  water-power  is  ample,  and  is  extensively  employed.  There  are  in  the 
township  17  manufacturing  establishments,  8  churches,  44>anks,  &c.  Population 
of  the  city,  4700 ;  of  the  township,  7239.  Stonington,  in  the  south-east  corner  of 
the  State,  has  a  considerable  number  of  vessels  engaged  in  the  whaling  and  seal 
ing  business.  Population,  3898. 


MIDDLE   STATES. 

THE  MIDDLE  STATES  ate  bounded  on  the  north  by  Canada,  the  river  St.  Law 
rence,  and  Lakes  Ontario  and  Erie;  south  by  Virginia;  east  by  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  New  England ;  west  by  the  State  of  Ohio  and  Virginia.  As  a  region, 
the  Middle  States  comprise  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and 
Delaware ;  it  extends,  from  north  to  south,  about  490  miles,  and  from  east  to  west, 


UNITED  STATES. 


31 


360  miles,  with  an  area  of  115,000  square  miles,  and  occupies  one  of  the  finest 
jarts  of  the  Union. 

The  surface  presents  every  variety  of  mountain,  hill,  plain  and  valley.  The 
Appalachian,  or  Alleghany  Range,  extends  through  this  region,  from  south-west 
o  north-east,  in  several  parallel  ridges,  which  attains  in  Pennsylvania  its  widest 
imits ;  none  of  these,  however,  reach  the  elevation  of  the  highest  summits  of  the 
Blue  Ridge  in  North  Carolina,  or  the  White  Mountains  in  New  Hampshire.  The 
Alleghany  is  generally  covered  with  forests,  and  contains  many  wild  solitudes, 
seldom  trodden  by  the  foot  of  man,  affording  shelter  to  various  species  of  game. 

The  most  prominent  rivers  of  the  Atlantic  sections  of  the  United  States  are  in 
his  region.  The  Hudson  and  Delaware  rank  amongst  the  most  important  and 
jseful  of  our  navigable  streams ;  but  the  Susquehannah  is,  notwithstanding  its 
ength,  but  little  available  without  the  aid  of  artificial  navigation. 

The  mineral  productions  are  various  and  valuable.  Bituminous  and  anthracite 
soal,  several  kinds  of  iron  ore,  salt,  lime,  excellent  building  materials,  and  clays 
useful  in  the  arts,  are  among  the  treasures  in  which  it  abounds.  Mining  industry 
las  acquired  importance  from  the  activity  and  success  with  which  it  has  lately 
)een  pushed ;  and  the  public  works  of  this  section  are  particularly  remarkable  for 
their  number  and  magnitude. 

In  general  the  soil  is  fertile,  and  particularly  favourable  to  the  production  of 
every  species  of  grain :  wheat  is  the  principal  object  of  culture ;  tobacco  is  exten 
sively  raised ;  also  Indian  corn,  rye,  barley,  &c.  The  fruits  common  to  the  tern- 
aerate  regions  are  abundant,  and  of  excellent  quality.  The  commerce  of  the 
Middle  States  is  extensive,  and  chiefly  carried  on  through  the  cities  of  New  York 
and  Philadelphia,  to  which  it  centres ;  the  trade,  however,  of  a  considerable  part 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  flows  to  Baltimore.  Manufacturing  industry  is 
carried  to  a  greater  extent,  in  proportion  to  the  population,  than  in  any  part  of  the 
United  States,  excepting  New  England ;  it  employs  a  vast  amount  of  capital  and 
labour,  and  affords  generally  a  competent  remuneration  to  thousands  of  both  sexes. 

The  Middle  States  were  originally  settled  by  people  of  various  countries,  hav- 
ng  different  habits,  feelings,  and  opinions:  society,  therefore,  does  not  possess 
that  uniform  character  which  admits  of  a  general  description.  The  people  have 
not  that  unity  of  feeling  and  interest  which  is  observed  in  the  New  England  and 
Southern  States ;  and  the  only  reason  for  their  being  classed  together  is  their 
contiguity :  they  seldom  unite  for  any  public  purpose,  and  there  seems  to  be  but 
little  sympathy  or  common  feeling,  which  prompts  them  to  act  in  concert  for  pub 
lic  affairs.  The  great  body  is  of  British  descent,  but  in  New  York  and  Maryland 
there  are  many  Germans ;  and  in  Pennsylvania  they  are  so  numerous  as  to  con 
stitute,  in  some  respects,  a  separate  community,  retaining  their  own  language,  and 
being  often  ignorant  of  English.  In  New  York  and  New  Jersey  there  are  many 
descendants  of  the  original  Dutch  settlers  of  New  Amsterdam ;  and  in  some  sec 
tions  the  Dutch  language  is  partially  spoken. 

After  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war,  the  emigration  from  the  New  England 
States  into  New  York  continued  to  set  so  strongly  for  many  years,  that  a  majo 
rity  of  the  present  population  of  that  State  are  natives  of  New  England,  or  their 
descendants.  There  is  also  a  large  body  of  New  England  emigrants  in  Pennsyl 
vania.  Population  of  the  Middle  States,  in  1830, 4,151,286;  in  1840,  5,118,076 ; 
of  whom  97,778  were  slaves. 


STATE   OF   NEW   YORK. 

THIS  great  State,  the  most  flourishing,  wealthy,  and  populous  in  the  Union, 
combining  with  almost  unequalled  natural  advantages  of  soil,  internal  navigation, 
and  easy  access  by  sea,  public  works  executed  on  a  scale  of  imperial  grandeur, 
exhibits  one  of  those  amazing  examples  of  growth  and  prosperity,  that  are  seen 
nowhere  on  the  globe  beyond  our  own  borders. 

New  York  is  the  most  northern  of  the  Middle  States,  and  is  bounded  north  by 
Lake  Ontario,  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  and  Lower  Canada ;  east  by  Vermont, 

15  W 


32  UNITED  STATES. 


Massachusetts,  and  Connecticut;  south  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  New  Jersey,  and 
Pennsylvania ;  and  west  by  Lake  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Niagara  river. 
Length,  316  miles;  breadth,  304;  containing  about  46,000  square  miles. 

This  State  forms  a  portion  of  the  elevated  table-land  of  the  United  States, 
broken  in  some  places  by  mountainous  ridges  of  inconsiderable  elevation,  and 
containing  some  remarkable  depressions,  which  form  the  basins  of  lakes,  or  the 
channels  of  the  rivers. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Hudson,  St.  Lawrence,  Delaware,  Susquehanna, 
Alleghany,  Genesee,  Niagara,  Oswego,  and  the  Mohawk.  A  part  of  the  lakes 
Erie,  Ontario  and  Champlain,  are  in  this  State.  The  other  principal  lakes  are 
Lake  George,  Cayuga,  Seneca,  Oneida,  Oswegatchie,  Canandaigua,  &c. 

The  soil  in  the  maritime  part  of  the  State  is  sandy,  in  the  middle  beautifully 
undulating,  and  in  the  western  and  southern  division  remarkably  level,  rich,  and 
inclining  to  alluvial  formation. 

Iron  ore  is  found  in  inexhaustible  quantities,  and  of  a  good  quality,  in  the  north 
eastern  part  of  the  State ;  it  occurs  also  in  some  of  the  central,  eastern,  and  south 
western  counties.  Lead  is  found  in  some  parts ;  also  gypsum,  in  the  central 
counties,  where  it  is  extensively  used  for  agricultural  purposes.  Limestone  like 
wise  occurs.  Salt  is  procured  in  abundance  from  the  Onondaga  salt-springs,  in 
the  township  of  Salina ;  the  brine  is  conducted  to  Salina,  Syracuse,  and  other 
neighbouring  villages,  where  the  salt  is  obtained  by  boiling,  by  solar  evaporation, 
and  by  artificial  evaporation,  45  gallons  of  water  yielding  a  bushel  of  salt.  The 
well-known  springs  of  Ballston  and  Saratoga  are  partly  saline,  partly  chalybeate ; 
and  the  water  is  exported  in  considerable  quantities,  not  only  to  other  States,  but 
to  foreign  countries.  In  the  western  part  of  the  State  there  are  burning  springs, 
yielding  carburetted  hydrogen,  which  is  applied  to  economical  uses  in  the  neigh 
bouring  villages. 

Wheat  is  the  great  agricultural  staple  of  the  State,  and  flour  and  provisions  are 
largely  exported.  The  manufactures  are  extensive  and  flourishing.  The  capital 
employed  in  that  branch  of  national  industry,  in  1840,  was  over  $55,000,000,  in 
dependent  of  home-made  articles  produced  to  the  amount  of  more  than  $4,600,000. 
The  cotton  and  woollen  factories  alone  employed  a  capital  of  about  $8,400,000, 
and  produced  articles  to  the  value  of  near  $7,200,000. 

The  commerce  of  New  York  is  on  a  great  scale,  as,  beside  supplying  her  own 
wants,  and  exporting  her  surplus  productions,  she  imports  a  large  share  of  the 
foreign  articles  consumed  in  the  neighbouring  Atlantic  States,  as  well  as  in  many 
of  the  Western  States,  to  which  her  natural  and  artificial  channels  of  communi 
cation  give  her  access ;  and  her  great  commercial  emporium  is  the  outlet  for  the 
produce  of  the  same  regions. 

The  inhabitants  consist  in  part  of  the  descendants  of  the  original  Dutch  settlers, 
who  have  at  present,  however,  lost  in  a  great  measure  their  national  characteris 
tics,  and  the  descendants  of  the  German  palatines,  who  removed  thither  in  the 
beginning  of  the  last  century,  with  some  emigrants  from  Great  Britain,  and  other 
European  countries.  But  the  mass  of  the  people  are  of  New  England  origin  or 
descent,  and  they  are  favourably  distinguished  for  enterprise,  intelligence,  and 
virtue. 

The  population  in  1790  was  340,120;  in  1800,  586,050;  in  1810,959,049;  in 
1820, 1,372,810 ;  in  1830,  1,913,508  ;  and  in  1840, 2,428,921.  Of  these,  853,929 
were  white  males,  and  816,276  white  females;  6435  were  coloured  males,  and  6428 
coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  455,954 ;  in  commerce,  28,468  ;  in 
manufactures  and  trades,  173,193;  in  mining,  1898;  in  navigating  the  ocean, 
5511 ;  do.  lakes,  rivers  and  canals,  10,167;  in  the  learned  professions,  14,111. 

There  were  in  the  State,  according  to  the  census  of  1840,  475,543  horses  and 
mules;  1,911,244  neat  cattle;  5,118,777  sheep;  1,900,065  swine;  poultry  to  the 
value  of  $1,153,143.  There  were  produced,  12,286,418  bushels  of  wheat;  2,979,323 
of  rye  ;  10,972,286  of  Indian  corn ;  2,520,060  of  barley ;  2,287,885  of  buckwheat ; 
30,123,614  of  potatoes  ;  9,845,295  pounds  of  wool ;  10,048,109  of  sugar ;  447,235 
of  hops;  1735  of  silk  cocoons;  3,127,047  tons  of  hay ;  and  1130  of  hemp  or  flax. 


NEW  YORK. 


The  products  of  the  dairy  amounted  to  $10,496,021 ;  of  the  orchard,  to  $1,701,935 
of  lumber,  to  $3,891,302. 

The  commerce  of  New  York  greatly  surpasses  that  of  any  other  State  in  th 
Union.  The  exports  of  1841  were  $33,139,833,  and  the  imports  were  $75,713,426 
the  tonnage  entered  was  1,111,680;  the  tonnage  cleared,  965,548. 

The  manufactures  of  the  State  are  also  extensive.  Home-made  or  famil) 
manufactures  amounted  to  $4,636,547 ;  323  woollen  manufactories,  with  89( 
fulling-mills,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $3,537,337,  with  a  capital  o 
$3,469,349;  117  cotton  factories,  with  211,659  spindles,  employed  4407  persons 
and  a  capital  of  $4,900,772,  and  produced  articles  of  the  value  of  $3,640,237 
332  persons  produced  2,867,884  bushels  of  salt,  with  a  capital  of  $5,601,000 ;  186 
furnaces  produced  29,088  tons  of  cast-iron;  120  forges  produced  53,693  tons  o 
bar-iron,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $2,003,418 ;  9  smelting-houses  producei 
670,000  pounds  of  lead,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $221,000;  boots,  shoes,  sad 
dies,  &c.,  were  produced  to  the  amount  of  $6,232,924  ;  machinery  was  producec 
to  the  amount  of  $2,895,517;  hardware  and  cutlery,  to  the  value  of  $1,566,974 
precious  metals,  to  the  value  of  $1,106,203  ;  212  distilleries  produced  11,973,8H 
gallons  of  spirits ;  83  breweries  produced  6,059,122  gallons  of  beer,  and  employee 
a  capital  of  $3,107,066  ;  338  flouring-mills  produced  1,861,385  barrels  of  flour 
and,  with  other  mills,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $16,953,280,  and  em 
ployed  a  capital  of  $14,648,814;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $797,317 
amount  of  capital  employed  in  the  fisheries,  $949,250.  The  total  amount  b 
capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $55,252,779. 

This  State  has  several  important  literary  institutions :  Columbia  College,  in 
New  York  city,  founded  in  1754 ;  Union  College,  at  Sohenectady,  founded  in 
1795;  Hamilton  College,  in  Clinton,  founded  in  1812 ;  Geneva  College,  at  Ge 
neva,  founded  in  1823;  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  founded  in  1831 
The  Hamilton  Literary  and  Theological  Seminary  was  founded  by  the  Baptists 
n  1819  ;  the  Theological  Institute  of  the  Episcopal  Church  was  founded  in  1819 
n  the  city  of  New  York ;  the  New  York  Theological  Seminary,  at  Auburn,  was 
bunded  in  1821  ;  the  Hartwick  Seminary,  at  Hartwick,  Otsego  county,  foundec 
1816;  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  was 
"ounded  in  1807 ;  the  Albany  Medical  College  was  founded  in  1839.  In  the 
ibove-named  institutions  there  were,  in  1840,  1285  students.  There  were  in  the 
State  505  academies,  with  34,715  students,  and  10,539  common  and  primary 
schools,  with  502,367  scholars.  There  were  44,452  white  persons,  over  twenty 
years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

In  1838,  the  Presbyterians,  with  a  few  Congregationalists,  had  564  ministers, 
and  86,000  communicants ;  the  Dutch  Reformed  had  142  ministers,  and  15,800 
communicants;  the  Methodists  had  591  ministers,  and  30,700  communicants; 
he  Baptists  had  483  ministers,  and  67,183  communicants ;  the  Episcopalians  had 
207  ministers,  and  about  10,000  communicants ;  the  Associate  Reformed  had  30 
ninisters ;  the  Lutherans  had  27  ministers ;  the  Roman  Catholics  had  32  minis- 
ers ;  the  Unitarians  had  8  ministers ;  the  Universalists  had  25  ministers. 

The  State  of  New  York  is  distinguished  for  its  magnificent  public  works,  con 
tructed  for  the  purpose  of  connecting  the  great  central  basin  of  the  lakes  and  the 
St.  Lawrence  with  the  Atlantic;  663  miles  of  canal  navigation  have  been  ob- 
ained,  at  a  cost  of  $13,497,568.  The  great  trunk  is  the  Erie  canal,  extending 
"rom  Buffalo,  on  Lake  Erie,  to  the  Hudson,  364  miles.  The  Champlain  canal 
;xtends  from  Lake  Champlain,  at  Whitehall,  to  the  junction  of  the  Erie  canal 
vith  the  Hudson,  64  miles,  with  a  navigable  feeder  of  12  miles;  lockage,  188 
eet,  by  21  locks.  Other  branches  of  this  work,  pervading  different  parts  of  the 
state,  are  the  Oswego  canal,  38  miles,  connecting  the  Erie  canal  at  Salina  with 
jake  Ontario;  Cayuga  and  Seneca  canal,  23  miles,  extending  from  Geneva  to 
Montezuma,  on  the  Erie  canal,  and  thus  continuing  the  navigation  through  those 
wo  lakes  ;  Crooked  Lake,  eight  miles,  connecting  that  lake  with  Seneca  Lake; 
hemung  canal,  from  the  head  of  the  latter  to  the  river  Chemung,  or  Tioga,  at 
Elmira,  23  miles,  with  a  navigable  feeder  from  Painted  Post  to  Elmira,  of  16 
miles ;  Chenango  canal,  97  miles  in  length,  from  Binghamton,  on  the  Chenango, 

30  " 


34  UNITED  STATES. 


to  Utica ;  the  Black  River  canal,  35  miles  in  length,  from  Rome,  on  the  Erie 
canal,  to  High  Falls,  on  Black  river;  and  the  Genesee  Valley  canal,  from 
Rochester  to  Olean,  on  the  Alleghany  river,  107  miles. 

Beside  the  works  constructed  by  the  State,  the  principal  canal  made  by  a  pri 
vate  company  is  the  Delaware  and  Hudson,  extending  from  the  mouth  of  Round- 
out  creek,  on  the  latter  river,  to  Port  Jervis  on  the  Delaware,  up  that  river  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Lackawaxen,  and  along  the  latter  to  Honesdale,  in  Pennsylvania ; 
total  length  109  miles,  of  which  26  are  in  Pennsylvania.  From  Honesdale  a  rail 
road  runs  to  the  coal-mines  at  Carbondale,  a  distance  of  16  miles. 

The  following  are  the  principal  rail-roads  completed  in  the  State  of  New  York : 
From  Albany  to  Schenectady,  16  miles;  from  Schenectady  to  Utica,  78  miles; 
from  Utica  to  Syracuse,  53  miles ;  from  Syracuse  to  Auburn,  26  miles ;  from 
Auburn  to  Rochester,  78  miles ;  from  Rochester  to  Attica,  44  miles ;  from  Attica 
to  Buffalo,  36  miles.  All  the  foregoing  roads  form  one  continuous  line  from 
Albany  to  Buffalo  of  331  miles,  and,  in  connection  with  the  rail-road  from  Albany 
to  West  Stockbridge,  Ms.,  of  38  miles,  and  thence  to  Boston,  162  miles,  the  whole 
forms  a  splendid  connected  rail-road  of  531  miles  in  length.  The  other  chief  rail 
roads  in  the  State  extend  from  Schenectady  to  Saratoga  Springs,  22  miles ;  from 
West  Troy  to  Schenectady,  20  miles;  from  Troy  to  Ballston  Spa,  23 %  miles; 
from  Hudson  to  West  Stockbridge,  Ms.,  33  miles;  from  Brooklyn  to  Greenport, 
90  miles;  from  New  York  to  White  Plains,  29  miles;  from  Corning  to  Bloss- 
burg,  Pa.,  40  miles;  from  Buffalo  to  Niagara  Falls,  23  miles;  from  Lockport  to 
Niagara  Falls,  '24  miles ;  from  Ithaca  to  Owego,  29  miles ;  and  from  Piermont 
to  Dunkirk,  on  lake  Erie,  446  miles :  this  road  is  finished  and  in  use  from  Pier 
mont,  about  45  miles.  / 

The  city  of  New  York  is  the  largest,  most  wealthy,  and  most  flourishing  of  all 
American  cities;  the  greatest  commercial  emporium  of  America,  and,  after  Lon 
don,  the  greatest  in  the  world.  « 

No  city  in  the  world  possesses  equal  advantages  for  foreign  commerce  and 
inland  trade.  Two  long  lines  of  canals,  stretching  back  In  every  direction,  have 
increased  its  natural  advantages,  and  rendered  it  the  great  mart  of  an  almost  inde 
finite  extent  of  country  ;  while  its  facilities  of  communication  with  all  parts  of  the 
world  have  made  it  the  thoroughfare  of  the  same  vast  region.  The  progress  of 
its  population  has  never  been  paralleled  :  in  1790  it  was  33,131 ;  in  1810,96,373; 
in  1830,  203,007;  and  in  1840,  312,710;  or,  including  Brooktyn,  nearly  350,000. 

New  York  is  well-built  and  regularly  laid  out,  with  the  exception  of  the  older 
part,  in  which  the  streets  are  crowded,  narrow,  and  crooked;  but  this  now  forms 
only  a  small  portion  of  the  city.  It  is  chiefly  as  a  great  mart  of  foreign  and  inland 
commerce  that  New  York  is  most  advantageously  known. 

The  arrivals  from  foreign  ports  are  about  2000  annually,  and  of  coasters  near 
4800.  The  passengers  that  arrived  in  1843  were  46,302  in  number,  of  whom  only 
341  were  Americans.  The  imports  in  the  same  year  amounted  to  $50,308,520, 
the  exports  to  $23,440,336,  and  the  duties  collected  to  $11,300,407.  There  is  a 
line  of  steam-packets  to  Liverpool,  besides  which  there  are  line-ships  that  sail  for 
Liverpool  every  five  days,  to  London  every  ten  days,  and  to  Havre  every  eight 
days.  Regular  lines  of  packets  are  also  established  to  all  the  chief  cities  of  the 
United  States,  the  West  Indies,  and  South  America.  Steamboat-lines  to  all  the 
adjacent  maritime  towns  are  numerous.  t 

There  are  in  New  York  25  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  more  than 
$27,000,000;  several  marine  insurance  companies,  with  a  capital  of  about 
$3,000,000 ;  22  fire  insurance  companies,  with  a  capital  of  about  $6,000,000, 
besides  several  mutual  insurance  companies.  There  are  4  savings  banks,  15 
markets,  6  theatres,  a  circus,  and  2  museums.  '•  Among  the  public  build 
ings  are  the  City  Hall,  a  handsome  edifice  of  white  marble,  with  a  front  of  216 
feet;  the  Hall  of  the  University,  a  splendid  building,  180  by  100  feet;  the  Hall 
of  Columbia  College;  the  Hospital ;  the  City  Lyceum ;  185  churches;  the  Astor 
House,  a  vast  hotel  of  Quincy  granite,  200  feet  by  150,  and  77  feet  high,  contain 
ing  390  rooms;  the  Almshouse  at  Bellevue,  on  East  river;  the  Penitentiary  on 
Blackwell's  Island,  in  the  same  river,  several  miles  from  the  city;  the  Custom- 


NEW  YORK.  35 


house,  an  elegant  building,  177  feet  long  by  89  wide,  on  the  model  of  tho  Par 
thenon;  the  new  Exchange,  recently  erected  in  place  of  the  one  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1835 ;  the  Hall  of  Justice,  built  in  the  Egyptian  style,  and  usually  called  the 
Tombs, 

The  benevolent  societies  are  numerous  and  well  supported.  They  comprise  a 
hospital,  with  which  is  connected  a  lunatic  asylum,  at  Bloomingdale ;  a  hospital 
at  Believue,  for  the  sick  and  insane  poor,  connected  with  the  city  almshouse; 
three  dispensaries ;  an  institution  for  the  blind  ;  one  for  the  deaf  and  dumb ;  and 
a  great  number  of  orphan  asylums,  relief  associations,  education,  bible,  and  tract 
societies,  &c.  Neither  is  New  York  behind  her  sister  cities  in  her  literary  and 
scientific  establishments.  Beside  the  educational  institutions  already  mentioned, 
the  Historical  Society,  the  New  York  Society  Library,  with  40,000  volumes;  the 
Lyceum  of  Natural  History,  and  the  American  Lyceum,  have  published  some 
valuable  papers;  while  the  Mercantile  Library  Association,  and  the  Apprentices' 
Library,  show  that  the  merchants  and  mechanics  are  not  indifferent  to  the  intellec 
tual  improvement  of  their  clerks  and  apprentices. 

There  are  here  also  an  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  and  an  Academy  of  Design.  The 
American  Institute,  for  the  promotion  of  domestic  industry  by  the  distribution  of 
premiums  and  other  rewards,  holds  annual  fairs  for  the  exhibition  of  the  products 
of  American  industry. 

The  most  splendid  work  undertaken  by  the  city  corporation  is  the  Croton 
Water-works.  An  aqueduct  built  of  stone  and  brick  conveys  the  water  of  the 
Croton  river  to  the  city.  It  commences  five  miles  from  the  Hudson,  at  a  dam 
built  in  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  supply,  and  which  contains  500 
million  gallons.  The  aqueduct  is  40  miles  long,  has  a  descent  of  about  13  inches 
per  mile,  and  will  discharge  60  million  gallons  of  water  in  24  hours.  The  re 
ceiving  reservoir,  two  miles  from  the  city,  covers  35  acres,  and  contains  150  mil 
lion  gallons.  The  Croton  water  is  of  the  purest  kind  of  river  water,  and  is  sum 
cient  to  supply  a  population  five  times  as  numerous  as  that  of  New  York.  It  is 
carried  to  all  parts  of  the  city  in  iron  pipes,  laid  deep  enough  to  be  unaffected  by 
the  frost. 

The  city  of  Brooklyn,  on  Long  Island,  opposite  to  New  York,  is  situated 
on  a  rising  ground  which  commands  an  agreeable  view,  and  it  partakes  in 
the  commercial  activity  and  prosperity  of  its  neighbour.  Here  is  a  navy-yard  of 
the  United  States,  on  Wallabout  Bay.  There  are  in  Brooklyn  30  churches, 
3  banks,  3  insurance  companies,  &c.  Steam  ferry-boats  are  constantly  run 
ning  across  the  East  river  to  New  York,  and  a  rail-road  extends  to  Greenport,  96 
miles,  at  the  eastern  end  of  Long  Island,  which  forms  a  portion  of  the  nearest 
route  to  Boston.  Population  in  1830,  15,394;  and  in  1840,  36,233.  About  50 
miles  above  the  city  of  New  York,  and  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson,  is  West 
Point,  a  celebrated  military  post  during  the  war  of  independence,  and  now  the 
seat  of  the  United  States'  Military  Academy  for  tie  education  of  officers  of  the 
army.  Newburffh,  10  miles  above  West  Point,  and  on  the  right  bank,  with  6000 
inhabitants,  and  Poughkeepsie,  14  miles  higher,  on  the  left,  with  7500,  are  neat, 
thriving  villages,  with  considerable  trade,  and  several  ships  engaged  in  the  whale- 
fishery.  Near  the  head  of  ship  navigation,  117  miles  from  the  sea,  stands  the  city 
of  Hudson,  on  a  commanding  eminence  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  Its  trade 
and  manufactures  are  extensive  and  increasing,  and  it  has  eleven  ships,  with  an 
aggregate  of  about  4000  tons,  engaged  in  the  whale-fishery.  The  city  is  well 
laid  out  and  prettily  built,  and  the  neighbourhood  presents  many  charming  pros 
pects.  Population  in  1840,  5672. 

On  the  western  bank  of  the  Hudson  river,  145  miles  above  New  York,  is  the 
city  of  Albany,  the  capital,  and,  in  point  of  size,  the  third  city  of  the  State.  Its 
wealth  and  trade  have  been  greatly  increased  by  the  Erie  and  Champlain  canals, 
which  terminate  in  a  large  basin  in  the  city;  and  its  situation  renders  it  a 
great  thoroughfare,  not  only  for  traders,  but  also  for  travellers  on  the  northern 
route.  It  contains  several  handsome  public  buildings,  among1  which  are  the  capi- 
tol,  a  fine  stone  edifice;  the  State-hall,  and  the  city  hall,  both  of  white  marble; 
the  Academy,  of  red  freestone;  30  churches,  &c.  A  medical  college,  female  aca- 

15 


UNITED  STATES. 


emy,  and  exchange,  are  also  important  public  buildings.  Twenty  steamboats 
,nd  fifty  tow-boats  ply  between  this  city  and  New  York,  and  the  intermediate 
>laces  on  the  river.  By  the  Erie  canal  and  a  continuous  line  of  rail-roads,  Albany 
s  connected  with  Buffalo,  and  shares  extensively  in  the  trade  of  the  far  West. 
3y  the  Champlain  canal,  it  receives  the  trade  of  the  North.  Rail-roads  also 
extend  to  Saratoga,  and  another  great  line  of  rail-roads  extends  eastward  to 
3oston.  Population  in  1840,  33,721.  The  city  of  Troy,  six  miles  above  Albany, 
s  situated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  trade  and  manufactures  of  this 
>lace  ate  both  considerable.  The  city  is  regularly  laid  out  and  prettily  built. 
Copulation  in  1840,  19,334.  Nearly  north  from  Albany,  at  a  distance  of  29  and 
miles  respectively,  are  the  most  frequented  of  American  watering-places, 
Ballston  Spa  and  Saratoga.  At  the  eastern  end  of  Lake  Ontario,  at  the  head  of 
a  deep  bay,  is  Sacket's  Harbour,  an  important  naval  station  during  the  three 
years'  war ;  and  on  the  Black  river,  7  miles  from  its  mouth,  is  the  flourishing 
village  of  VVatertown,  with  about  4000  inhabitants.  The  water-power  derived 
rom  the  river  is  computed  at  10,000  cubic, feet;  the  fall  is  88  feet  in  a  mile,  and 
"bmis  an  immense  hydraulic  power,  which  is  just  beginning  to  be  used ;  here  are 
i  number  of  mills  and  factories  of  different  kinds. 

Up  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  along  the  line  of  the  canal  and  its  branches, 
are  a  number  of  cities  and  towns,  which  have  sprung  up,  as  if  by  enchantment, 
,n  the  bosom  of  a  wilderness.  Schenectady,  Utica,  Syracuse,  Oswego,  Auburn, 
[thaca,  Seneca,  Canandaigua,  Rochester,  Lockport,  and  Buffalo,  are  the  princi 
pal.  The  city  of  Schenectady,  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  fertile  tract,  affording 
lumerous  mill-seats,  traversed  by  the  canal,  and  connected  by  rail-roads  with 
Albany,  Saratoga,  and  Utica,  has  an  extensive  and  increasing  trade,  and  some 
manufactures.  It  is  the  seat  of  Union  College,  one  of  the  principal  collegiate 
"nstitutions  in  the  State.  Population  in  1840,  6784. 

Upwards  of  90  miles  north-west  from  Albany,  on  the  Erie  canal,  is  the  city  oi 
Utica.  In  1794,  the  spot  contained  only  four  or  five  log  houses,  in  the  midst  of 
a  wilderness :  in  1840,  the  city  had  a  population  of  12,782  souls,  18  churches,  a 
court-house,  offices  for  the  clerks  of  the  Supreme  and  United  States'  Courts,  an  ex 
change,  2  academies,  the  Utica  library,  apprentices'  library,  museum,  Protestant 
and  Roman  Catholic  orphan  asylums,  and  various  other  charitable  institutions;  4 
banks,  a  savings  bank,  mutual  insurance  company,  and  1GOO  dwellings  :  it  dates 
its  prosperity  from  the  completion  of  the  Erie  canal. 

Still  farther  west,  on  the  canal,  are  the  villages  of  Salina,  Syracuse,  Geddes 
and  Liverpool,  the  seat  of  the  Onondaga  salt-springs,  which  are  the  property  o: 
the  State :  the  manufacturers  pay  a  duty  of  six  cents  a  bushel,  and,  in  the  yeai 
1840,  made  622,335  bushels,  much  of  which  is  sent  out  of  the  State.  Tht 
works  are  capable  of  producing  3,000,000  bushels  a  year.  Population  of  Syra 
cuse  in  1840,  6500;  of  Salina,  2600.  From  Syracuse,  a  branch  canal  extends  tc 
Oswego,  on  Lake  Ontario,  one ^)f  the  most  flourishing  villages  in  the  State  :  tht 
river  of  the  same  name  furnisnes  an  inexhaustible  water-power,  which  is  verj 
extensively  employed  for  useful  purposes,  and  an  excellent  harbour,  protected  bi 
piers,  constructed  by  the  general  government.  Since  the  opening  of  the  Wellanc 
canal,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  trade  of  the  upper  lakes,  as  well  as  that  o 
Lake  Ontario,  enters  at  Oswego,  and  large  quantities  of  wheat  are  brought  in  t( 
be  ground  here.  The  population  of  the  village  more  than  doubled  between  183( 
and  1840,  having  increased  from  2117  to  4500  inhabitants. 

Rochester,  situated  on  the  Genesee  river,  seven  miles  from  its  mouth,  an 
traversed  by  the  Erie  canal,  is  a  flourishing  town.  The  river  has  here  a  fall  o 
upwards  of  90  feet,  and,  a  few  miles  below,  it  descends  by  a  fall  of  75  feet  to  the 
level  of  Lake  Ontario.  The  water-power  thus  produced  is  immense,  and  then 
are  now  in  the  city  22  large  flour-mills,  several  cotton  and  woollen  manufactories 
and  a  great  number  of  other  manufacturing  establishments.  The  aqueduct  ove: 
the  river  is  upheld  by  ten  arches  of  hewn  stone.  The  population  increased  frorr 
1502  in  1820,  to  20,191  in  1840.  The  city  contains  23  churches,  6  banks,  ? 
savings  bank,  museum,  a  collegiate  institute,  and  various  other  institutions 
The  city  of  Buffalo,  at  the  western  termination  of  the  canal,  has  a  harbou 


NEW  JERSEY.  37 


on  Lake  Erie,  protected  by  .a  long  pier.  The  city  is  well  built  and  finely  situated, 
overlooking  the  lake ;  and  it  contains  a  great  number  of  large  warehouses  and 
manufactories.  The  population  in  1820  was  2095  ;  in  1830,  6321 ;  and  in  1840, 
18,213..  The  lake-trade  is  very  extensive.  In  1817,  there  were  but  25  vessels, 
and  no  steamboat,  on  Lake  Erie;  and  in  1840  they  amounted  to  360  sloops, 
schooners  and  brigs,  and  60  steamboats,  most  of  which  exceeded  200  tons  bur 
then;  beside  several  ships,  &c.  Buffalo  contains,  in  addition  to  its  numerous 
churches,  an  exchange,  a  theatre,  orphan  asylum,  young  men's  association,  &c. 
Ithaca,  at  the  head  of  Cayuga  Lake,  increased  its  population  from  3324  in  1830, 
to  5650  in  1840.  By  the  Owego  rail-road,  it  is  connected  with  the  Susquehanna, 
and,  by  the  lake,  with  the  Erie  canal  and  tide-water.  Its  situation  is  highly  pic 
turesque.  There  are  numerous  manufacturing  establishments  here. 


STATE   OF   NEW   JERSEY. 

THE  State  of  New  Jersey  is  bounded  north  by  New  York,  east  by  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  New  York,  south  by  Delaware  Bay,  and  west  by  Pennsylvania.  It  is 
138  miles  in  length,  and  50  miles  in  breadth;  the  area  is  about  6600  square  miles. 
The  soil  of  this  State  is  not  naturally  well  adapted  to  agricultural  pursuits,  much 
of  the  land  being  either  sandy  or  marshy  ;  yet  its  proximity  to  two  of  the  largest 
markets  in  the  United  States,  and  the  industry  of  the  inhabitants,  have  rendered 
it  exceedingly  productive  of  all  sorts  of  grain,  fruits,  and  vegetables,  common  to 
the  climate.  New  Jersey  is  intersected  by  many  navigable  rivers,  and  has  numer 
ous  streams  for  mills,  iron-works,  and  every  species  of  manufactures  requiring 
water-power.  The  principal  of  these  streams  are  the  Raritan,  Hackensack,  Pas- 
saic,  Salem,  Tom,  Cohanzey,  and  Maurice  rivers. 

New  Jersey  abounds  in  valuable  iron  ores ;  rich  veins  of  zinc  ore  occur  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State ;  copper  also  abounds,  and  has  been  extensively  worked. 
The  greater  part  of  the  sandy  tract  is  covered  with  extensive  pine  forests,  which 
have  afforded  supplies  of  fuel  for  the  numerous  furnaces  of  the  State,  and  the 
steamboats  of  the  neighbouring  waters ;  the  middle  section  is  the  most  highly 
improved  and  wealthy  part  of  the  State,  being  divided  into  srnaH  farms  °and 
kitchen-gardens,  which  are  carefully  cultivated,  the  produce  of  which  finds  a  ready 
market  in  the  manufacturing  towns  of  the  district,  and  in  the  great  cities  of  the 
adjacent  States.  The  northern  counties  contain  much  good  pasture-land,  with 
numerous  fine  farms.  The  apples  and  cider  of  the  north  are  as  noted  for  their 
superior  quality  as  the  peaches  of  the  south.  The  industry  of  the  inhabitants  is 
chiefly  devoted  to  agriculture,  commerce  being  mostly  carried  on  through  the 
ports  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  ;  the  north-eastern  corner  is,  however,  the 
seat  of  flourishing  manufactures.  The  shad  and  oyster  fisheries  in  the  rivers  and 
great  estuaries  that  border  on  the  State,  afford  a  profitable  employment  to  many 
of  the  inhabitants. 

The  population  of  New  Jersey,  in  1790,  was  184,189;  in  1800,  211,149;  in 
1810,  245,592 ;  in  1820,  277,575 ;  in  1830, 320,779  ;  in  1840, 373,306.  Of  these, 
177,055  were  white  males;  174,533,  white  females;  10,780  were  free  coloured 
males;  10,261,  free  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  56,701;  in 
commerce,  2283  ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  27,004  ;  in  mining,  266 ;  in  navi 
gating  the  ocean,  1143;  in  navigating  rivers  arki  canals,  1625;  in  the  learned 
professions,  1627. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  70,502  horses  and  mules ;  220,202  neat  cat 
tle;  219,285  sheep;  261,443  swine.  There  were  produced,  774,203  bushels  of 
wheat;  1,665,820  of  rye;  4,361,975  of  Indian  com;  3,083,524  of  oats;  12,501 
of  barley;  856,117  of  buckwheat;  2,072,069  of  potatoes;  397,207  pounds  of 
wool ;  1966  of  silk  cocoons.  The  products  of  the  dairy  amounted  to  $1,328,032  ; 
of  the  orchard,  to  $464,006;  of  lumber,  to  $271,591 ;  9416  gallons  of  wine  were 
made. 

The  home-made  or  family  manufactures  amounted  to  $201,625;  31  woollen 
manufactories,  and  49  fulling-mills,  produced  goods  to  the  amount  of  $440,710, 


38  UNITED  STATES. 


employing  a  capita]  of  $314,650;  43  cotton  factories  produced  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $2,086,104,  employing  a  capital  of  $1,722,810;  hats  and  caps  were 
manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $1,181,562;  saddles,  boots,  shoes,  &c.,  were  pro 
duced  to  the  amount  of  $1,582,746 ;  64  flouring-mills  manufactured  168,797  bar 
rels  of  flour,  and,  with  other  mills,  employed  a  capital  of  $2,641,200 ;  ships  were 
built  to  the  amount  of  $334,240 ;  capital  employed  in  the  fisheries,  $93,275.  The 
total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $11,517,582. 

The  College  of  New  Jersey,  or  Nassau  Hall,  at  Princeton,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  distinguished  in  the  country,  and  has  educated  many  eminent  men.  At 
the  same  place  is  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  more 
recently  founded,  but  equally  distinguished.  Rutgers  College,  in  New  Bruns 
wick,  was  founded  in  1770,  and  latterly  has  been  flourishing.  Connected  with 
it  is  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  founded  in  1784, 
which  is  respectable.  In  these  institutions  there  were,  in  1840,  433  students; 
there  were  in  the  State  66  academies,  with  3027  students,  and  1207  common  and 
primary  schools,  with  52,583  scholars.  There  were  6385  white  persons,  over  20 
years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

In  1835,  the  Presbyterians  had  100  churches,  and  105  ministers;  the  Dutch 
Reformed  had  48  churches,  and  42  ministers ;  the  Episcopalians  had  35  churches, 
1  bishop,  and  29  ministers ;  the  Methodists  had  64  ministers,  and  about  twice  as 
many  congregations ;  the  Baptists  in  1832  had  61  churches,  and  54  ordained 
ministers ;  the  Friends  had  67  meetings  ;  the  Roman  Catholics  had  4  ministers. 
There  are  also  Congregationalists,  Universalists,  and  others. 

There  are  several  important  works  of  internal  improvement  in  this  State.  The 
Morris  canal  proceeds  from  Jersey  city,  opposite  to  New  York,  westwardly,  101£ 
miles,  to  Easton,  Pa.  The  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  commences  at  Borden- 
town,  proceeds  north-west  to  Trenton,  and  thence  north-east  to  New  Brunswick, 
on  the  Raritan  river.  The  Camden  and  Amboy  rail-road  commences  at  Camden, 
opposite  to  Philadelphia,  and  proceeds  north-east  to  Amboy,  61  miles;  it  has  a 
branch  from  Bordentown  to  Trenton,  8  miles,  and  another  from  Craft's  Creek  to 
Jobstown^  13  miles.  The  Paterson  and  Hudson  rail-road  proceeds  from  Jersey 
city  to  Paterson,  16^  miles.  The  New  Jersey  rail-road  proceeds  from,  Jer.sey 
city,  through  Newark,  34  miles,  to  New  Brunswick ;  here  it  joins  the  New 
Brunswick  «r>d  Trenton  rail-road,  which  connects  the  two  places,  27  miles  dis 
tant.  The  Morris  and  Essex  rail-road  extends  from  Newark,  22  miles,  to  Morris- 
town.  A  rail-road  extends  from  Elizabeth  port,  25  miles,  to  Somerville. ' 

The  city  of  Trenton,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Delaware,  at  the  head  of  sloop 
navigation,  is  the  capital  of  the  State.  It  is  regularly  laid  out,  and  contains  the 
State-house,  State-prison,  and  seven  churches.  A  wooden  bridge,  1100  feet  in 
length,  here  crosses  the  river,  just  below  the  falls  ;  and  the  Delaware  and  Raritan 
canal  passes  through  the  city.  The  falls  afford  extensive  water-power  for  manu 
facturing  purposes,  and  there  are  ten  mills  and  manufactories  in  the  vicinity. 
Population,  4035.  Ten  miles  from  Trenton  is  the  village  of  Princeton,  the  seat 
of  New  Jersey  College,  and  celebrated  in  the  revolutionary  history  for  the  action 
of  January  3d,  1777.  Population,  3055. 

The  city  of  New  Brunswick,  at  the  head  of  sloop  navigation  on  the  Raritan, 
and  at  the  termination  of  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal,  is  the  depot  of  the 
produce  of  a  fertile  district,  and  a  place  of  considerable  trade.  The  upper  streets 
are  spacious  and  handsome^  and  command  a  fine  prospect.  Here  are  Rutgers 
College,  and  a  theological  seminary  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  Population 
in  1840,  8693.  It  contains  8  churches,  2"  banks,  120  stores,  and  800  dwellings. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Raritan  stands  the  city  of  Amboy,  or  Perth  Amboy,  with 
a  good  harbour,  which  is,  however,  little  used.  Elizabethtown  is  a  pretty 
and  thriving  town  near  Newark  Bay,  with  about  2500  inhabitants;  it  contains 
several  manufactories,  mills,  &c.  It  is  intersected  by  two  rail-roads. 

The  city  of  Newark,  the  largest  and  most  important  town  in  New  Jersey, 
stands  on  the  Passaic,  three  miles  from  Newark  Bay,  and  has  easy  communication 
with  New  York  by  means  of  steamboats  and  the  New  Jersey  rail-road  ;  the  Morris 
canal  also  passes  through  the  city.  Newark  is  prettily  situated  and  well  built, 


PENNSYLVANIA.  39 


with  spacious  streets  and  handsome  houses,  many  of  which  are  ornamented  with 
fine  shade-trees.  The  manufactures  are  extensive  ;  the  capital  employed  in  1840 
amounted  to  $1,511,339.  Carriages,  shoes  and  boots,  cutlery,  saddlery,  jewelry, 
hats,  furniture,  &c.,  are  among  the  articles  produced.  The  population  in  1830 
was  10,953,  and  in  1840,  17,290.  Paterson,  at  the  falls  of  the  Passaic,  is  one 
of  the  principal  manufacturing  towns  in  the  country;  it  has  an  immense  water- 
power,  which  is  extensively  applied  to  economical  purposes.  Here  are  cotton- 
mills,  with  numerous  other  works,  such  as  paper-mills,  machine-shops,  button 
factories,  iron  and  brass  founderies,  nail  factories,  woollen-mills,  &c.  The  town 
contains  nine  churches,  a  philosophical  society,  and  also  a  mechanics1  society 
for  improvement  in  the  mechanic  arts.  Population,  7596. 

Below  Trenton,  on  the  Delaware,  is  Bordentown,  pleasantly  situated  on  ele 
vated  ground  overlooking  the  river,  and  standing  at  the  termination  of  the  Dela 
ware  and  Raritan  canal.  Population,  about  1800.  The  city  of  Burlington,  below 
Bordentown,  is  also  a  neat  little  town,  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  with 
3434  inhabitants.  Steamboats  from  Philadelphia  touch  at  these  places  several 
times  a  day.  The  city  of  Oamden,  opposite  to  Philadelphia,  carries  on  some 
branches  of  manufacturing  industry ;  several  steam  ferry-boats  are  constantly 
plying  between  the  two  cities.  It  contains  6  churches,  an  academy,  bank,  court 
house,  &c.  Population  in  1840,  3,371 ;  in  1845,  4306,  with  836  dwellings. 

Woodbury,  7  miles  south  of  Camden,  is  connected  with  the  latter  by  a  rail 
road  ;  it  is  a  neat  village  of  120  dwellings,  and  about  800  inhabitants.  Salem, 
on  Salem  creek,  35  miles  south  of  Camden,  is  a  town  of  250  houses,  and  had  a 
population  in  1840  of  2007  inhabitants.  It  was  founded  in  1675,  and  was  the 
first  place  that  was  settled  by  English  emigrants  in  West  Jersey. 


COMMONWEALTH    OF    PENNSYLVANIA. 

*-    . 

THIS  State,  which,  from  her  central  position,  her  dimension$,  her  natural  re 
sources,  her  great  lines  of  communication,  and  her  population,  may  rank  as  one 
of  the  most  important  in  the  Union,  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  New  York  and 
Lake  Erie,  east  by  New  Jersey,  south-east  by  Delaware,  south  by  Maryland  and 
Virginia,  and  weslt  by  part  of  Virginia  and  Ohio.  Its  greatest  length,  from  east 
to  west,  is  307  miles,  and  its  breadth  157;  area,  46,000  square  miles. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Delaware,  Schuylkill,  Lehigh,  Susquefaanna, 
Juniata,  Alleghany,  Monongahela,  and  Ohio.  The  various  ridges  of  the  Alle- 
ghany  range,  whose  general  direction  is  from  south-west  to  north-east,  intersect 
the  central  parts  of  this  State.  The  valleys  between  many  of  these  ridges  are 
often  of  a  rich  black  soil,  suited  well  to  the  various  kinds  of  grass  and  grain. 
Some  of  the  mountains  admit  of  cultivation  almost  to  their  summits.  No  State 
in  the  Union  shows  to  the  traveller  a  richer  agriculture  than  Pennsylvania, 
is  emphatically  a  grain  country,  raising  the  finest  wheat.  It  produces  all  the 
fruits  and  productions  of  the  northern  and  middle  States,  and  is  particularly 
famous  for  the  size  and  excellence  of  its  breed  of  draught  horses. 

The  inhabitants  of  Pennsylvania,  though  composed  of  all  nations,  are  distin 
guished  for  their  habits  of  order,  indusUy,  and  frugality.  The  passing  stranger 
as  he  traverses  the  State,  is  struck  with  the  noble  roads  and  public  works,  with 
the  well-cultivated  farms,  and  their  commodious  and  durable  stone  houses,  and 
often  still  larger  stone  barns.  An  agricultural  country,  alike  charming  and  rich 
spreads  under  his  eye. 

The  mineral  wealth  of  Pennsylvania  is  very  great.  Coal,  iron,  and  salt,  occur 
in  vast  quantities.  The  coal  of  Pennsylvania  is  of  two  kinds,  the  anthracite  and 
bituminous,  which  are  quite  distinct  in  their  qualities  and  localities.  The  first  is 
found  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  between  the  Delaware  and  Susquehanna 
rivers,  and  is  estimated  to  cover  an  extent  of  about  624,000  acres.  The  bitumi 
nous  coal  is  found  in  the  western  parts  of  the  State,  on  the  Ohio,  Alleghany,  anc 
other  rivers  in  that  region. 

Iromore  of  an  excellent  quality  is  abundant,  and  extensively  wrought.     The 


40  UNITED  STATES. 


iron-mines  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  were  explored  and  worked  at  an  early 
period  of  colonial  settlement,  and  had  become  an  interest  of  value  before  the 
Revolution.  Since  the  peace  of  1783,  with  much  fluctuation,  iron  has  at  all  times 
employed  in  Pennsylvania  a  considerable  amount  of  capital  and  labour;  whilst 
the  recent  successful  application  of  anthracite  coal  to  the  fusion  of  the  ore,  and 
the  abundance  of  both  materials  in  close  proximity,  promise  a  vast  extension  of 
the  business. 

The  population  in  1790  was  434,373;  in  1800,  602,545;  in  1810,  810,091 ;  in 
1820,  1,049,313;  in  1830,  1,346,672;  in  1840,  1,724,033.  Of  these,  884,770 
were  white  males;  831,345,  white  females;  22,752  were  coloured  males;  25,102, 
coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  207,533 ;  in  commerce,  15,338;  in 
manufactures  and  trades,  105,883;  in  mining,  4603;  in  navigating  the  ocean, 
1815;  in  navigating  canals,  rivers  and  lakes,  3951  ;  in  the  learned  professions, 
6706. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  361,558  horses  and  mules;  1,161,576  neat 
cattle ;  1,755,597  sheep ;  1,485,360  swine.  Poultry  was  produced  to  the  amount 
of  $681,979.  There  were  produced,  12,993,218  bushels  of  wheat;  6,544,654  of 
rye;  2,096,016  of  buckwheat;  14,077,363  of  Indian  corn;  206,858  of  barley; 
20,485,744  of  oats ;  9,477,343  of  potatoes  ;  3,028,657  pounds  of  wool ;  48,694  of 
hops;  325,018  of  tobacco;  2,265,755  of  sugar ;  7262  of  silk  cocoons ;  1,302,685 
tons  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $3,152,987;  of  the  orch 
ard,  at  $610,512;  of  lumber,  at  $1,146,355.  There  were  made  14,328  gallons 
of  wine. 

The  exports  for  the  year  ending  September  30th,  1841,  were  $5,152,501,  and 
the  imports  $10>346,698.  The  tonnage  entered  was  99,385  ;  and  cleared,  83,523 
tons. 

The  manufactures  of  Pennsylvania  are  extensive.  According  to  the  census  of 
1840,  home-made  or  family  manufactures  amounted  to  $1,292,429;  235  woollen 
manufactories  and  337  fulling-mills  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $2,298,861, 
employing  a  capital  of  $1,500,546;  106  cotton  manufactories  produced  articles  to 
the  amount  of  $5,013,007,  employing  a  capital  of  $3,325,400 ;  2997  persons  pro 
duced  859,686  tons  of  anthracite  coal,  with  a  capital  of  $4,334,102 ;  1798  persons 
produced  11,620,654  bushels  of  bituminous  coal,  with  a  capital  of  $300,416;  213 
furnaces  produced  9-8,395  tons  cast-iron,  and  169  forges,  &c.  produced  87,244  tons 
of  bar-iron,  employing  a  capital  of  $7,781,471 ;  1149  tanneries,  and  2132  other 
manufactories,  as  saddleries,  &c.,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $3,453,243, 
employing  a  capital  of  $3,979,459;  30  powder-mills  manufactured  1,184,225 
pounds  of  powder,  employing  a  capital  of  $66,800;  drugs,  paints,  &c.,  were  pro 
duced  to  the  amount  of  $2,100,074;  28  glass-houses  and  15  glass-cutting  estab- 
blishments  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $772,400,  employing  a  capital  of 
$714,100;  machinery  was  produced  to  the  value  of  $1,993,752;  precious  metals 
to  the  value  of  $2,679,075 ;  1005  distilleries  produced  6,228,768  gallons  of  dis 
tilled  spirits;  87  breweries  produced  12,765,974  gallons  of  beer,  employing  a 
capital  of  $1,585,771 ;  725  flouring-mills  produced  1,181,530  barrels  of  flour,  and 
with  other  mills  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $9,232,515,  employing  a 
capital  of  $7,779,784.  The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  in 
the  State,  was  $31,815,105. 

The  colleges  are  numerous.  The  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  Philadelphia, 
was  founded  in  1755 ;  Dickinson  College,  in  Carlisle,  in  1783  ;  Jefferson  College, 
in  Canonsburg,  in  1802;  Washington  College,  in  Washington,  in  1806;  Alle- 
ghany  College,  in  Meadville,  in  1815  ;  Pennsylvania  College,  in  Gettysburg,  in 
1832;  La  Fayette  College,  in  Easton,  1832;  Marshall  College,  at  Mercersburg, 
1836.  Besides  these,  are  the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  founded  at  Philadelphia,  in  1765;  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Philadel 
phia,  in  1824 ;  the  Medical  Department  of  Pennsylvania  College,  at  Philadelphia, 
in  1839;  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  at  Gettysburg,  in 
1826 ;  the  Seminary  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  at  York,  in  1825 ;  the 
Western  Theological  Seminary,  at  Canonsburg,  and  the  Theological  Seminary 
at  Pittsburg.  In  all  these  seminaries  there  were,  in  1840,  2034  students.  There 


PENNSYLVANIA.  41 


were  in  the  State  290  academies,  with  15,970  students ;  and  4968  common  and 
primary  schools,  with  179,989  scholars.  There  were  33,940  white  persons,  over 
20  years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

Of  the  religious  denominations,  the  Presbyterians,  including  the  Associate 
Reformed,  had,  in  1836,  400  ministers;  the  Methodists,  250;  the  Baptists,  140; 
the  German  Reformed,  73 ;  the  Episcopalians,  70 ;  the  Friends,  150  congrega 
tions.  Besides  these,  there  are  several  other  denominations  which  are  less 
numerous. 

By  a  splendid  course  of  internal  improvements,  Pennsylvania  has  greatly 
extended  and  facilitated  her  trade,  but  has  contracted  the  largest  debt  of  any  State 
in  the  Union  which  she  is  abundantly  able  to  discharge,  but  can  only  do  it  by  mode 
rate  taxation.  The  central  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal  commences  at  the  ter 
mination  of  the  Columbia  and  Philadelphia  rail-road,  at  Columbia,  and  extends 
along  the  Susquehanna  and  Juniata  rivers,  172  miles,  to  Hollidaysburg,  where  it 
passes  over  the  Alleghany  mountain  by  a  rail-road.  The  western  division  of  the 
Pennsylvania  canal  extends  from  Johnstown  to  Pittsburg,104  miles.  This  completes 
the  line  of  rail-roads  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburg,  395  miles.  A  canal  extends 
from'the  Pennsylvania  canal,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Juniata  river,  and  proceeds  39 
miles  to  Northumberland,  where  it  connects  with  the  North  and  West  Branch 
canals.  The  West  Branch  canal  extends  from  Northumberland,  along  the  West 
branch  of  the  Susquehanna  river,  75  miles,  to  Farrandsville,  in  Clinton  county, 
reaching  the  bituminous  coal-fields  in  that  vicinity.  The  North  Branch  division 
extends  from  Northumberland,  73  miles,  to  a  little  above  Wilkesbarre.  The 
Delaware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal  extends  from  the  tide-water  at  Bris 
tol,  20  miles  above  Philadelphia,  to  Easton,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lehigh,  where  it 
joins  the  navigation  of  the  Lehigh  company,  extending  to  the  coal  region,  25 
miles.  The  Schuylkill  navigation  commences  at  the  Fairmount  dam,  near  Phila 
delphia,  and  extends  to  Port  Carbon,  in  Schuylkill  county,  the  heart  of  the 
anthracite  coal  region.  The  Union  canal  extends  from  the  Schuylkill,  near  Read 
ing,  to  Middletown,  on  the  Susquehanna,  82  miles ;  it  has  a  navigable  feeder  of 
23  miles  on  Swatara  creek,  which  communicates  with  the  coal  region.  The  Sus 
quehanna  or  Tidewater  canal  commences  at  Wrightsville,  opposite  to  Columbia, 
and  extends  45  miles  to  Havre-de-Grace,  in  Maryland,  and  connects  the  Penn 
sylvania  canal  with  the  tide-water  of  Chesapeake  bay.  The  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  rail-road  extends  from  the  west  side  of  the  Schuylkill,  near  Philadelphia, 
to  Pottsville,  in  Schuylkill  county,  90  miles,  giving  ready  access  to  the  coal  region. 
There  are  many  minor  rail-roads,  which  have  relation  to  the  transportation  of 
coal.  The  Alleghany  Portage  rail-road  extends  from  Hollidaysburg  to  Johns 
town,  36^  miles,  and  connects  the  eastern  and  western  divisions  of  the  Pennsyl 
vania  canal.  The  Philadelphia  and  Columbia  rail-road,  one  of  the  most  import 
ant  in  the  State,  extends  from  Philadelphia,  82  miles,  to  Columbia  on  the  Sus 
quehanna.  A  rail-road  extends  through  the  south-eastern  part  of  the  State,  leading 
from  New  York  to  Baltimore  and  Washington. 

The  city  of  Philadelphia,  the  principal  city  of  the  State,  and  one  of  the  most 
regularly  laid  out  and  handsomely  built  in  the  world,  stands  between  the  Dela 
ware  and  the  Schuylkill  rivers,  about  5  miles  above  their  junction,  and  100  miles 
from  the  sea  by  the  course  of  the  former.  It  yields  to  none  in  the  Union  in  the 
wealth,  industry,  and  intelligence  of  its  citizens.  Philadelphia  has  the  advantage 
of  a  double  port,  connected  with  very  remote  sections ;  that  on  the  Schuylkill  is 
accessible  to  vessels  of  300  tons,  and  is  a  great  depot  for  the  coal  of  the  inte 
rior;  th.e  other,  on  the  Delaware,  admits  the  largest  merchant-vessels  to  the  doors 
of  the  warehouses,  and  is  spacious  and  secure. 

The  streets  are  broad  and  straight,  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles,  and 

dividing  the  city  into  numerous  squares,  some  of  which  have  been  reserved  for 

public  walks,  and  are  ornamented  with  fine  shade  and  flowering  trees.     The 

dwelling-houses  are  neat  and  commodious,  and  the  public  buildings,  generally 

onstructed  of  white  marble,  are  the  most  elegant  in  the  country.     Three  bridges 

ross  the  Schuylkill;  the  wire  suspension  bridge  is  remarkable  for  its  light  and 

beautiful   appearance.     Numerous   steam-boats   afford   constant  communication 

31 


42  UNITED  STATES. 


with  Baltimore  and  New  York,  and,  with  the  rail-roads  into  the  interior,  render 
this  city  the  great  thoroughfare  between  the  north  and  south,  and  the  east  and 
west. 

Philadelphia  includes  the  City  Proper,  with  Southwark,  Moyamensing,  and 
Passyunk,  on  the  south  ;  and  Kensington,  Northern  Liberties,  Spring  Garden,  and 
Penn  Township,  on  the  north ;  having  a  population,  in  1790,  of  42,520;  in  1810, 
of  96,664;  in  1830,  of  167,811  ;  and  in  1840,  of  228,690. 

The  manufactures  of  Philadelphia  are  various  and  extensive:  her  foreign  com 
merce  is  considerable,  the  arrivals  from  foreign  ports  in  1835  having  been  429, 
and  the  value  of  her  imports  being  $5,000,000  a  year;  her  inland  commerce  is 
also  very  extensive,  and  rapidly  increasing,  in  consequence  of  the  facilities  afford 
ed  by  the  numerous  canals  and  rail-roads  that  centre  here,  affording  an  easy  com 
munication  with  all  sections  of  the  State,  and  with  the  great  western  valley. 
There  are  about  500,000  barrels  of  flour  and  3600  hogsheads  of  tobacco  inspected, 
and  upwards  of  800,000  bushels  of  grain  measured  here,  annually. 

The  shipping  belonging  to  the  port  in  1843,  was  104,349  tons.  There  are  in 
the  city  14  banks,  with  a  capital  of  $12,000,000. 

Philadelphia  is  noted  for  the  number  and  excellence  of  its  benevolent  institu 
tions.  Among  these  are  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  the  Dispensary,  Wills' 
Hospital  for  the  lame  and  blind  ;  the  institutions  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  and  for 
the  blind  ;  the  Almshouse,  Magdalen  Asylum,  Orphan  Asylums,  Girard  College 
for  Orphans,  &c.  The  Society  for  alleviating  the  miseries  of  public  prisons,  has 
not  only  distinguished  itself  by  its  successful  efforts  in  reforming  the  penal  code 
of  the  State,  but  in  improving  the  conditions  of  the  prisons  :  the  discipline  adopt 
ed  by  the  influence  of  this  society  consists  in  solitary  confinement  with  labour; 
and  the  penitentiaries  of  Pennsylvania  are  conducted  on  this  plan.  The  learned 
institutions  of  Philadelphia  are  equally  distinguished ;  they  are  the  American 
Philosophical  Society,  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  the  Pennsylvania  His 
torical  Society,  and  the  Franklin  Institute ;  all  of  which  have  published  some 
valuable  volumes.  The  medical  schools  are  also  much  frequented,  and  highly 
celebrated.  The  City  Library,  including  the  Loganian  collection,  consists  of 
53,000  volumes.  There  is  also  an  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  here.  Free  schools 
are  supported  at  the  public  charge,  and  educated,  in  1843,  33,130  scholars,  at  an 
expense  of  $192,000.  The  principal  public  buildings  are  the  Custom-house,  late 
the  United  States  Bank,  on  the  model  of  the  Parthenon,  and  the  Pennsylvania 
Bank,  of  the  Ionic  order,  both  elegant  specimens  of  classical  architecture ;  the 
Mint,  a  handsome  building,  with  Ionic  porticoes  62  feet  long  on  each  front;  the 
Exchange,  95  feet  by  114,  containing  a  spacious  hall,  news-room,  the  post-office, 
&c.  ;  the  Girard  Bank;  the  Girard  College,  a  splendid  structure,  111  feet  by  169, 
with  a  colonnade  of  Grecian  Corinthian  columns  entirely  surrounding  it.  All  of 
these  buildings  are  of  white  marble. 

The  United  States  Marine  Asylum,  capable  of  accommodating  400  men,  with 
a  front  of  385  feet;  the  Almshouse,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Schuylkill,  consist 
ing  of  four  distinct  buildings,  with  nearly  400  rooms ;  the  State-house,  interesting 
from  its  having  been  the  place  where  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  adopt 
ed  and  promulgated;  the  United  States  Arsenal,  &c.,  also  deserve  mention. 
There  are  here  144  churches  and  places  of  public  worship,  including  3  syna 
gogues.  The  State  penitentiary  and  the  county  prison  are  not  less  remarkable 
for  their  architecture,  than  for  their  discipline.  The  county  prison,  built  of  Quincy 
granite,  has  a  front  of  310  feet,  by  525  in  depth.  There  is  a  navy-yard  here,  but 
ships  of  war  of  the  largest  class  cannot  ascend  to  the  city  with  their  armament. 
The  inhabitants  are  liberally  supplied  with  water,  raised  from  the  Schuylkill 
river,  by  the  Fairmount  works,  constructed  at  an  expense  of  $432,500 ;  the  daily 
consumption  in  summer  is  about  4,500.000  gallons,  and  supplies  26,549  tenants. 
Recently,  the  corporations  of  Spring  Garden  and  the  Northern  Liberties  have 
completed  a  similar  work,  on  a  smaller  scale,  for  the  supply  of  their  districts  with 
water  independent  of  the  city.  The  city  proper  and  the  Northern  Liberties  are 
lighted  with  gas,  and  the  district  of  Kensington  is  about  to  be  illuminated  in  the 
same  manner. 


PENNSYLVANIA.  43 


Frankford  and  Germantown  are  flourishing  towns  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadel 
phia.  The  former  contains  several  manufacturing  establishments,  including  cot 
ton-mills,  calico-print  works,  &c.  Near  it  are  an  arsenal  of  the  United  States, 
and  a  lunatic  asylum  belonging  to  the  Friends.  Germantown  is  a  flourishing  and 
pleasant  town,  with  5482  inhabitants,  containing  a  bank,  some  manufactures,  &c. 
The  other  most  important  places  in  Pennsylvania  are  Lancaster  city,  Harrisburg, 
Reading,  Easton,  and  Pottsville,  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  State  ;  in  the  west 
ern  are  Pittsburgh,  Beaver,  &c. 

The  city  of  Lancaster,  62  miles  west  of  Philadelphia,  pleasantly  situated  in  the 
fertile  and  highly  cultivated  Conestoga  valley,  is  one  of  the  handsomest  in  the 
State :  the  streets  are  regular,  and  among  the  public  buildings  are  12  churches, 
an  academy,  &c.  Its  trade  is  extensive,  and  the  manufactures  various  and  con 
siderable;  it  is  noted  for  the  superior  quality  of  its  rifles,  coaches,  rail-road  cars, 
stockings,  saddlery,  &c.  The  population  amounts  to  8417.  Lancaster  is  con 
nected  with  Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg  by  rail-roads,  and  with  the  Susquehanna. 
below  Columbia,  by  a  canal. 

Harrisburg,  the  capital  of  the  State,  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Susque 
hanna.  The  State-house  is  a  neat  and  commodious  building,  from  the  cupola  of 
which  is  one  of  the  finest,  panoramic  views  in  the  United  States.  Here  are  also 
a  court-house,  and  a  number  of  churches.  Population  in  1840,  5980.  Beyond 
the  Susquehanna  are  the  thriving  towns  of  Carlisle  and  Chambersbiirg ;  the  former 
containing  4351,  and  the  latter  4030  inhabitants.  Carlisle  is  the  seat  of  Dickin 
son  College. 

Reading,  about  50  miles  north-west  from  Philadelphia,  is  a  prosperous  town  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  at  the  termination  of  the  Union  canal.  The 
town  was  laid  out  in  1748  by  Thomas  and  Richard  Penn,  governors  and  proprie 
tors  of  the  province ;  it  is  regularly  built,  and  was  originally  settled  by  Germans  ; 
several  newspapers  are  still  printed  in  that  language,  though  English  is  generally 
understood.  More  than  50,000  dozen  wool  hats  have  been  manufactured  here  in 
a  year,  for  the  southern  and  western  markets ;  nails  are  also  made  to  a  consider 
able  extent.  Population,  8410. 

Easton,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Lehigh  and  the  Delaware,  and  the  termination 
of  the  Morris  canal,  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  inland  towns  in  the  State.  In 
its  immediate  neighbourhood  are  numerous  flour-mills,  "bil-mills,  saw-mills,  &c. 
The  situation  is  highly  picturesque,  and  it  contains  2  banks,  5  churches,  and  La 
Fayette  College,  founded  in  1832,  which  has  154  students.  The  population  in 
1840  was  4865.  Pottsville  is  situated  in  a  wild  district  on  the  Schuylkill,  in  the 
midst  of  the  coal  region.  It  contains  many  handsome  dwellings,  and  its  popu 
lation,  which  in  1825  did  not  exceed  300,  amounted  in  1840  to  4345.  Mauch 
Chunk,  first  settled  in  1821,  is  also  built  on  very  broken  ground  ;  but,  in  addition 
to  the  coal  trade,  it  enjoys  the  advantage  of  an  extensive  water-power,  which  is 
used  for  manufacturing  purposes ;  and  its  population  at  present  exceeds  1800. 
Wilkesbarre  stands  in  the  delightful  valley  of  Wyoming,  whose  rural  beauty  and 
peaceful  shades,  once  stained  with  blood  and  desolated  with  fire,  have  been  con 
secrated  by  the  deathless  muse.  The  population  of  Wilkesbarre  in  1840  was  1718. 

Pittsburg,  the  principal  city  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  is  built  at  the  junction 
of  the  Monongahela  and  the  Alleghany.  The  city  proper  includes  only  the  tract 
between  the  rivers;  but, as  the  towns  of  Alleghanytown,  Birmingham,  &c., really 
form  a  part  of  Pittsburg,  they  must  properly  be  included  in  its  description.  Per 
haps  its  site  is  unrivalled  in  the  world,  commanding  a  navigation  of  about  50,000 
miles,  which  gives  it  access  to  the  most  fertile  region  on  the  face  of  the  globe, 
surrounded  by  inexhaustible  beds  of  the  most  useful  minerals.  Connected  by 
artificial  works  which  top  the  great  natural  barrier  on  the  east*  with  the  three 
principal  cities  of  the  Atlantic  border  on  one  side ;  and  by  others,  not  less  exten 
sive,  with  those  great  inland  seas  that  already  bear  on  their  bosoms  the  trade  of 
industrious  millions,  Pittsburg  is  doubtless  destined  to  become  one  of  the  most 
important  centres  of  population,  industry  and  wealth,  in  the  United  States.  The 
population  of  the  place,  in  1800,  was  about  1600;  in  1820,  10,000;  in  1830, 
12,568;  and,  according  to  the  census  of  1840,  21,115.  There  are  here  20  large 


UNITED  STATES. 


founderies  and  engine  factories,  with  numerous  small  works  ;  rolling-mills,  cotton 
sstablishments,  white-lead  factories,  breweries,  saw  and  grist-mills,  glass-works; 
with  brass  founderies,  steel  manufactories,  tanneries,  salt-works,  paper-mills, 
manufactories  of  cutlery  and  agricultural  implements,  &c.,  are  among  the  374 
nanufacturing  establishments  of  Pittsburg.  The  city  is  regularly  built;  but  the 
clouds  of  smoke  in  which  it  is  constantly  enveloped,  give  it  rather  a  dingy  ap 
pearance.  Among  the  public  establishments  here,  are  the  Alleghany  arsenal, 
aelonging  to  the  United  States ;  the  Western  Penitentiary  of  the  State,  the  West- 
3rn  University,  a  Presbyterian  and  a  Reformed  theological  seminary,  35  churches 
and  places  of  worship,  60  common  and  12  select  schools,  &c.  A  steam-engine 
supplies  the  city  with  3,000,000  gallons  of  water  daily.  One  of  the  most  destruc 
tive  fires  that  has  occurred  in  the  United  Stales,  took  place  here  on  the  17th  of 
April,  1845.  About  1000  buildings  were  consumed,  besides  a  great  amount  of 
merchandise.  The  entire  loss  is  estimated  at  from  six  to  nine  million  dollars. 

In  the  district  to  the  south  of  Pittsburg,  Washington,  Brownsville,  and  Union, 
are  thriving  towns.  Canonsburg  is  the  seat  of  Jefferson  College.  Below  Pitts- 
jurg  is  the  borough  of  Beaver,  at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  river ;  in  the  vicinity  are 
several  small  but  thriving  towns,  which  are  indebted  for  their  prosperity  to  the 
great  water-power  afforded  by  the  falls  of  that  stream.  Numerous  mills  and 
manufacturing  establishments  have  recently  been  erected  on  both  sides  of  the, 
river,  and  the  whole  population  of  the  neighbourhood  is  about  5000.  The  falls 
are  5  miles  from  the  Ohio  river ;  their  descent  is  about  69  feet.  Fallston  and 
New  Brighton  at  their  foot,  and  Brighton  and  Sharon  lower  down,  are  all  within 
a  short  distance  from  each  other. 

Erie,  on  the  lake  of  the  same  name,  is  important  on  account  of  its  harbour, 
which  is  protected  by  several  piers.  This  place  is  increasing  rapidly,  and  bids 
fair  to  become  of  considerable  commercial  importance.  By  the  completion  of  the 
Erie  extension  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal,  it  is  now  connected  with  Pittsburg,  on 
the  Ohio  river.  Population,  3412. 


STATE   OF   DELAWARE. 

THE  boundaries  of  this  State  are,  on  the  north,  Pennsylvania;  on  the  south, 
Maryland ;  on  the  east,  Delaware  Bay  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean ;  and,  on  the  west, 
Pennsylvania  and  Maryland. 

The  extent  from  north  to  south  is  90  miles ;  from  east  to  west,  25  miles ;  area 
in  square  miles,  2120.  The  principal  streams,  besides  the  Delaware,  which  forms 
a  part  of  its  boundary,  are  Brandywine  creek,  Christiana  creek,  Duck  creek,  Mis- 
pillion  creek,  and  Indian,  Choptank,  and  Nanticoke  rivers. 

The  general  aspect  of  Delaware  is  that  of  an  extended  plain,  mostly  favourable 
for  cultivation.  On  the  table-land  forming  the  dividing  ridge  between  the  Dela 
ware  and  Chesapeake  Bays,  is  a  chain  of  swamps,  from  which  the  waters  descend 
in  one  direction  to  Chesapeake,  and  in  the  other  to  Delaware  Bay.  The  upper 
part  of  the  State  is  generally  a  fine  tract  of  country,  and  well  adapted  to  the 
growing  of  wheat  and  other  grains.  The  staple  commodity,  however,  is  wheat, 
which  is  produced  of  a  superior  quality.  Brandywine  creek,  in  the  upper  part  oi 
the  State,  furnishes  water-power  for  great  and  growing  manufacturing  establish 
ments.  The  chief  articles  are  flour,  cottons,  woollens,  paper,  and  gunpowder. 
Delaware  contains  but  few  minerals ;  in  the  county  of  Sussex,  and  among  the 
branches  of  the  Nanticoke,  are  large  quantities  of  bog  iron-ore,  well  adapted  for 
casting ;  but  it  is  not  wrought  to  any  extent. 

The  population  of  Delaware  in  1790  was  59,094;  in  1800,  64,272;  in  1810 
72,674 ;  in  1820, 72,749 ;  in  1830, 76,739  ;  in  1840,  78,085.  Of  these,  2605  were 
slaves ;  29,259  were  white  males ;  29,302,  white  females ;  8626,  free  coloured 
males;  8293,  free  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  16,015;  in  com 
merce,  467 ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  4060  ;  navigating  the  ocean,  401 ;  navi 
gating  rivers  and  canals,  235 ;  in  the  learned  professions  and  engineers,  199. 


DELAWARE.  45 


In  tliis  State  there  were,  in  1840,  14,421  horses  and  mules  ;  58,833  neat  cattle; 
39,247  sheep  ;  74,228  swine  ;  poultry  was  valued  a^  $47,265.  There  were  pro 
duced,  315,165  bushels  of  wheat;  33,546  of  rye;  2,099,359  of  Indian  corn; 
927,405  of  oats  ;  5260  of  barley  ;  11,299  of  buckwheat,  and  200,712  of  potatoes  ; 
22,483  tons  of  hay  ;  64,404  pounds  of  wool  ;  1458  of  silk  cocoons.  The  products 
of  the  dairy  amounted  to  $113,828  ;  and  of  the  orchard,  to  $28,211.  The  exports 
n  1840  amounted  to  $37,001,  and  the  imports  to  $802.  Capital  employed  in  the 
fisheries,  $170,000. 

The  manufactures  of  Delaware  are  more  extensive  than  its  commerce.     Home 

made  or  family  goods  were  produced  to  the  amount  of  $62,116;  2  woollen  facto 

ries  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $104,700,  employing  a  capital  of  $107,000  ; 

1  cotton  factories  produced  articles  to  the  value  of  $332,272,  employing  a  capital 

of  $330,500  ;  18  tanneries  employed  a  capital  of  $89,300  ;  75  other  manufactories 

of  leather,  as  saddleries,  &c.,  manufactured  articles  to  the  amount  of  $166,037, 

mployinga  capital  of  $161,630;  27  powder-mills  manufactured  2,100,000  pounds 

f  gunpowder,  employing  a  capital  of  $220,000;  21  flouring-mills  manufactured 

76,194  barrels  of  flour,  and,  with  other  mills,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of 

$737,971,  employing  a  capital  of  $291,150;  ships  were  built  to  the  amount  of 

$35,400.    The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $1,589,212. 

There  is  but  one  college  in  the  State  —  Newark  College,  at  Newark,  founded 
n  1833;  it  has  100  students,  and  a  library  of  3500  volumes.  There  were,  in 
1840,  20  academies  in  the  State,  with  761  students,  and  152  primary  and  common 
schools,  with  6924  scholars  ;  there  were  in  the  State  4832  white  persons,  above 
he  age  of  20,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

Of  the  principal  religious  denominations,  the  Presbyterians,  in  1836,  had  15 
ministers;  the  Methodists,  15;  the  Episcopalians-,  6  ministers;  the  Baptists  had 
9  churches,  and  5  ministers;  the  Roman  Catholics  had  2  ministers.  There  were 
also  some  few  Friends. 

Several  important  works  of  internal  improvement  have  been  completed.  The 
Chesapeake  and  Delaware  canal  commences  at  Delaware  city,  on  the  Delaware 
river,  and  extends  14  miles  to  Back  creek,  a  tributary  of  Elk  river.  It  is  60  feet 
,vide  at  the  top,  and  10  feet  deep  ;  has  two  lift  and  two  tide-locks,  100  feet  by  22 
bet  in  the  chamber  ;  completed  in  1829,  and  cost  $2,750,000.  It  is  navigable  for 
sloops  and  steamboats.  The  New  Castle  and  Frenchtown  rail-road  extends  from 
New  Castle,  on  the  Delaware,  35  miles  below  Philadelphia,  to  Frenchtown,  on 
the  Elk  river,  which  enters  Chesapeake  Bay.  It  is  16£  miles,  and  connects  with 
steamboats  on  the  Delaware  and  Chesapeake. 

The  city  of  Wilmington,  pleasantly  situated  near  the  junction  of  the  Brandy- 
wine  and  Christiana,  is  a  well-built,  growing  town,  and  the  most  important  in  the 
State.  It  contains  an  arsenal,  hospital,  16  churches,  &c.,  and  is  supplied  with 
water  by  water-works  on  the  Brandy  wine.  Its  trade  is  considerable,  and  it  sends 
several  ships  to  the  whale-fishery.  In  the  immediate  vicinity  there  are  about  100 
mills  and  manufactories,  producing  flour,  paper,  iron-ware,  powder,  and  cotton 
and  woollen  goods  ;  the  Brandywine  flour-mills  are  among  the  most  extensive  in 
the  Unit-.d  States.  Population  in  1840,8367.  New  Castle,  below  Wilmington, 
is  at  the  eastern  termination  of  the  rail-road  to  Frenchtown  ;  it  contains  about 
1200  inhabitants.  Dover,  the  seat  of  government,  contains  the  State-house,  and 
about  600  inhabitants.  Lewistown  is  a  village  near  Cape  Henlopen,  in  front  of 
which  has  been  erected  the  Delaware  Breakwater.  The  work  consists  of  two 
piers,  an  ice-breaker  1500  feet  in  length,  and  a  breakwater  3600  feet  long;  cost, 
$-2,216,950. 


STATE   OF   MARYLAND. 

MARYLAND  is  bounded  north  by  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  ;  east  by  Dela 
ware  and  the  Atlantic  ;  south-west  and  west  by  Virginia.  Length  196  miles,  and 
120  miles  in  breadth  ;  area  in  square  miles  10,950,  in  acres  7,008,000.  The 
principal  rivers  are  the  Potomac,  which  divides  it  from  Virginia  ;  the  Susque- 


UNITED  STATES. 


hanna,  Patapsco,  Pawtuxent,  Elk,  Sassafras,  Chester,  Choptank,  Nanticoke,  and 
Pocomoko. 

The  maritime  part  of  this  State  is  penetrated  far  into  the  interior  by  Chesa 
peake  Bay,  as  a  vast  river  dividing  it  into  two  distinct  portions,  called  the  eastern 
and  western  shores.  These  shores  include  a  level,  low,  and  alluvial  country, 
intersected  by  tide-water  rivers  and  creeks,  and,  like  the  same  tracts  of  country 
farther  south,  are  subject  to  intermittents.  Above  the  tide-waters,  the  land  again 
becomes  agreeably  undulating.  Beyond  this  commence  the  Alleghany  moun 
tains,  with  their  numerous  ridges;  the  valleys  between  them  are  of  a  loamy  and 
rich  soil,  yielding  fine  wheat  and  all  the  productions  of  the  middle,  together  with 
some  of  those  of  the  southern  States.  The  national  road  passes  through  the  wide 
and  fertile  valleys  in  which  Frederick  and  Hagerstown  are  situated,  being  broad 
belts  of  the  same  admirable  soil  which  is  seen  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania. 
Among  these  mountains  and  hills  the  air  is  elastic,  the  climate  salubrious,  and 
the  waters  clear  and  transparent. 

In  manufactures  and  commerce,  Maryland  sustains  a  very  respectable  rank ; 
numerous  woollen  and  cotton-mills,  copper  and  iron  rolling-mills,  are  established 
in  and  near  Baltimore,  and  are  also  scattered  over  other  parts  of  the  State.  Flour 
and  tobacco  are  the  staple  productions;  the  exports  of  the  former  are  very  great, 
and,  of  the  latter,  the  product  is  considerable  and  of  excellent  quality.  The 
herring  and-  shad  fisheries  are  actively  carried  on,  and  yield  valuable  returns,  con 
stituting  an  important  article  of  trade,  as  well  as  of  home  consumption ;  the  com 
merce  of  Maryland  is  extensive,  and  her  ports  serve  as  the  outlets  of  large  tracts 
of  productive  country  in  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  western  States,  whose 
consumption  is  also  in  part  supplied  through  the  same  channels. 

The  population  in  1790  was  319,728  ;  in  1800,  345,824;  in  1810,  380,546;  in 
1820,  407,350;  in  1830,  446,913;  in  1840,469,232,  of  whom  89,495  were  slaves. 
Of  the  free  population,  1.58,636  were  white  males,  and  159,081  white  females; 
29,173  were  coloured  males,  and  32,847  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agri- 
.culture,  60,851;  in  commerce,  3249;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  21,325;  in 
navigating  the  ocean,  721 ;  in  navigating  canals,  rivers,  &c.,  1519 ;  in  the  learned 
professions,  1647. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  92,920  horses  and  mules;  225,714  neat  cat 
tle;  257,922  sheep;  416,943  swine;  poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of  $218,765. 
There  were  produced,  3,345,783  bushels  of  wheat;  723,577  of  rye;  8,233,086  of 
Indian  corn  ;  73,606  of  buckwheat ;  3594  of  barley ;  3,534,211  of  oats  ;  1,036,433 
of  potatoes;  488,201  pounds  of  wool;  24,816,013  of  tobacco;  5673  of  cotton; 
2290  of  silk  cocoons;  36,266  of  sugar;  106,687  tons  of  hay.  The  products  of 
the  dairy  amounted  to  $457,456;  of  the  orchard,  to  $105,740;  of  lumber,  to 
$266,977;  and  7585  gallons  of  wine  were  made.  The  exports  of  this  State  in 
1840  amounted  to  $5,768,768,  and  the  imports  to  $4,910,746. 

Of  the  principal  manufactures,  home-made  or  family  articles  amounted  to 
$176,050;  39  fulling-mills  and  29  woollen  manufactories  produced  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $325,900,  employing  a  capital  of  $117,630  ;  21  cotton  manufactories 
produced  articles  to  the  value  of  $1,150,580,  employing  a  capital  of  $1,304,400  ; 
12  furnaces  produced  8876  tons  of  cast-iron,  and  17  furnaces  produced  7901  tons 
of  bar-iron,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $795,650;  73  distilleries  produced  366,213 
gallons  of  spirits,  and  11  breweries  produced  828,140  gallons  of  beer,  the  whole 
employing  a  capital  of  185,790 ;  408  saddleries  and  other  manufactories  of  leather 
produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $1,050,275,  employing  a  capital  of  $434,127; 
189  flour-mills  produced  446,708  barrels  of  flour,  and,  with  other  mills,  produced 
articles  to  the  amount  of  $3,267,250,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $4,069,671 ;  ships 
were  built  to  the  amount  of  $279,771 ;  capital  employed  in  the  fisheries,  $88,947. 
The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  in  this  State  was 
$6,450,284. 

St.  John's  College,  at  Annapolis,  was  founded  in  1784.  St.  Mary's  College, 
at  Baltimore,  was  founded  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  in  1799.  The  Baltimore 
Medical  School,  founded  in  1807 ;  and  in  1812  there  were,  added  to  it  the  faculties 
of  general  science,  law,  and  divinity,  and  it  received  the  name  of  the  University 


MARYLAND.  47 


of  Maryland.  Mount  St.  Mary's  College  was  established  at  Emmettsburg,  in 
1830,  by  the  Roman  Catholics.  These  institutions  had,  in  1840,  400  students. 
There  were  in  the  State  127  academies,  or  grammar-schools,  with  4178  students  ; 
and  507  common  and  primary  schools,  with  16,982  scholars.  In  this  State  there 
were,  in  1840,  11,605  white  persons,  above  20  years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read 
nor  write. 

Of  religious  denominations,  the  Roman  Catholics  are  the  most  numerous.  They 
have  an  archbishop,  who  is  metropolitan  of  the  United  States,  and  60  churches. 
The  Episcopalians  have  77  ministers ;  the  Presbyterians  have  25  ministers ;  the 
Baltimore  Methodist  conference,  which  extends  into  neighbouring  States,  has  172 
travelling  preachers  ;  the  Baptists  have  20  ministers;  the  German  Reformed  have 
9  ministers.  There  are  also  Lutherans,  Friends,  Unitarians,  &c. 

Two  of  the  greatest  works  of  internal  improvement  in  the  United  States  have 
been  projected  and  commenced  in  Maryland ;  the  first  is  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  canal,  which  commences  at  Georgetown,  D.  C.,  and  is  designed  to  extend 
341£  miles  to  Pittsburg.  This  is  the  work  of  a  joint-stock  company,  chartered 
by  the  States  of  Maryland,  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  and  sanctioned  by  Con 
gress.  It  was  commenced  in  1828,  and  is  completed  to  Hancock,  136  miles. 
Considerable  work  has  been  done  between  this  and  Cumberland,  where  a  spacious 
basin  is  in  process  of  erection.  It  is  extended  7£  miles  to  Alexandria,  on  the 
southern  part.  A  completion  to  Cumberland  will  open  a  vast  and  rich  coal  region. 
The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail-road  is  designed  to  extend  from  Baltimore  to  the 
Ohio  river  at  Wheeling,  360  miles,  and  is  the  second  great  work.  It  was  incor 
porated  by  the  legislatures  of  Maryland,  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  in  1827,  and 
commenced  July  4th,  1828.  It  is  completed  from  Baltimore  to  Cumberland. 
There  is  a  side-cut  over  2£  miles  to  Frederick.  A  rail-road  extends  across 
the  State,  passing  through  Baltimore,  and  which  forms  part  of  the  great  chain 
from  New  York  and  Philadelphia  to  Washington.  This  road  proceeds  on  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail-road,  8  miles,  from  the  former  place.  The  Baltimore 
and  Susquehanna  rail-road  extends  56  miles  from  Baltimore  to  York,  Pa.  A 
rail-road  19|  miles  long  extends  from  the  Baltimore  and  Washington  rail-road  to 
Annapolis.  A  rail-road  extends  from  Frenchtown  to  New  Castle,  Del.,  connect 
ing  the  Delaware  and  Chesapeake  Bays.  The  same  is  effected  by  a  canal  extend 
ing  from  Back  creek,  a  tributary  of  Elk  river,  to  Delaware  city,  on  the  Delaware, 
42  miles  below  Philadelphia.  It  is  66  feet  wide  at  the  top,  10  feet  deep,  and 
affords  a  passage  to  vessels  requiring  that  depth  of  water. 

Baltimore,  the  principal  city  of  the  State,  and,  in  point  of  population,  the  third 
in  the  Union,  slands  on  an  arm  of  Patapsco  Bay,  about  14  miles  from  the  Chesa 
peake,  and  200  from  the  sea,  by  the  ship  channel.  The  harbour  is  capacious  and 
safe,  and  consists  of  an  inner  basin,  into  which  vessels  of  200  tons  can  enter,  and 
an  outer  harbour,  at  Fell's  Point,  accessible  to  the  largest  merchant-ships.  The 
entrance  is  commanded  and  defended  by  Fort  M' Henry.  Baltimore  possesses 
nearly  the  whole  trade  of  Maryland,  that  of  part  of  Western  Virginia  and  Penn 
sylvania,  and  the  Western  States ;  and  its  inland  communication  has  been  ex 
tended  and  facilitated  by  the  construction  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail-road. 
Manufactures  of  cotton,  woollen,  paper,  powder,  chemicals,  pottery,  &c.,  are  also 
carried  on  in  the  city  and  neighbourhood.  Baltimore  is  the  greatest  flour  market 
in  the  world;  in  1840,  there  were  inspected  764,115  barrels,  and  31,606  half 
barrels  of  flour.  Its  tonnage  in  1840  was  76,022.  The  foreign  trade  employed 
a  capital  of  $4,404,500;  the  retail  trade,  $6,708,611;  and  the  manufactures, 
$2,729,983.  Baltimore  has  9  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $2,500,000, 
and  9  insurance  companies.  The  public  buildings  are  105  churches,  2  hospitals, 
2  theatres,  a  circus,  museum,  penitentiary,  exchange,  the  college  and  university 
halls,  &c.  The  Battle  Monument,  erected  in  memory  of  the  successful  defence 
of  the  city,  when  attacked  by  the  British  in  1814,  is  an  elegant  marble  obelisk, 
35  feet  high,  on  which  are  inscribed  the  names  of  those  who  fell  in  that  gallant 
affair.  The  Washington  Monument  is  the  most  splendid  structure  of  the  kind  in 
the  country  ;  it  is  a  Doric  column  of  white  marble,  with  a  circular  staircase  inside, 
by  which  you  ascend  to  the  top;  the  column  is  180  feet  in  height,  and  20  feet  in 

16*  Y  """ "" 


48  UNITED  STATES. 


diameter  at  bottom;  it  stands  upon  a  base  23  feet  high,  and  is  surmounted  by  a 
colossal  statue  of  the  Father  of  his  Country.  The  exchange  is  a  large  and  hand 
some  edifice,  366  feet  by  140;  the  Roman  Catholic  cathedral  is,  perhaps,  the 
finest  church  in  the  country,  and  it  contains  some  good  paintings.  The  citizens 
of  Baltimore  are  not  more  distinguished  for  their  bold  and  persevering  enterprise, 
than  for  hospitality  and  agreeable  manners.  In  1765,  there  were  not  more  than 
fifty  houses  on  the  site  of  the  city;  in  1800,  the  population  had  increased  to 
23,971  ;  and  in  1840,  to  102,313. 

..  The  city  of  Annapolis,  agreeably  situated  on  the  Severn  river,  three  miles  from 
Chesapeake  Bay,  is  the  capital  of  the  State.  It  is  regularly  laid  out,  with  the 
streets  diverging  from  the  State-house  and  the  Episcopal  church.  The  State- 
house  is  a  handsome  building,  in  which  the  Old  Congress  held  some  of  their 
sessions ;  and  the  Senate  chamber,  in  which  Washington  resigned  his  commis 
sion,  has  been  preserved  unaltered  ;  here  is  likewise  the  State  library  of  10,000 
volumes.  Annapolis  is  also  the  seat  of  St.  John's  College.  The  channel  to  the 
city  is  narrow  and  difficult.  Population,  2792.  Frederick  city,  47  miles  west 
of  Baltimore,  is,  in  point  of  wealth,  elegance,  and  population,  the  second  city  in 
Maryland.  It  is  connected  with  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail-road  by  a  branch 
road  of  2|  miles.  The  population,  in  1840,  5182.  North-west  from  Frederick  city, 
and  near  the  north  line  of  the  State,  is  Hagerstown,  a  well-built  and  flourishing 
town,  containing  the  usual  county  buildings,  several  churches  and  academies, 
and  a  population  of  3750  souls.  Williamsport,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Conococheague, 
is  a  flourishing  village  on  the  route  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail-road,  and  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal.  Population,  500. 


DISTRICT   OF    COLUMBIA. 

THIS  is  a  territory  of  ten  miles  square,  under  the  immediate  government  of 
Congress,  and  therefore  is  not  represented  in  that  body.  It  is  divided  into  two 
counties  and  three  cities,  the  counties  and  cities  being  separate.  The  cities  are 
Washington,  Alexandria,  and  Georgetown  ;  the  counties,  Washington  and  Alex 
andria.  This  district  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Potomac,  120  miles  from  its 
mouth,  between  Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  was  ceded  to  the  general  govern 
ment  by  those  States  in  1790.  The  population  of  the  District  amounted,  in  1840, 
to  43,712,  of  which  4694  were  slaves,  and  8361  free  blacks. 

The  city  of  Washington  was  laid  out,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  great 
man  whose  name  it  bears,  in  1791,  and  became  the  seat  of  government  in  the  year 
1800.  It  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  District,  upon  the  north  bank  of  the  Potomac, 
between  the  river  and  the  East  Branch,  one  of  its  tributaries.  The  plan  of 
the  city  combines  regularity  with  variety,  and  is  adapted  to  the  variations  of  the 
surface,  so  that  the  spaces  allotted  to  public  buildings  occupy  commanding  posi 
tions,  and  the  monotonous  sameness  of  a  rectangular  design  is  avoided,  while  all 
its  advantages  are  secured.  The  minor  streets  run  at  right  angles,  but  the  larger 
avenues  diverge  from  several  centres,  intersecting  the  streets  with  various  degrees 
of  obliquity,  and  opening  spaces  for  extensive  squares.  The  smaller  streets  run 
north  and  south,  east  and  west,  and  are  from  90  to  110  feet  wide.  The 
grand  avenues  are  from  130  to  160  feet  in  width,  and  are  planted  with  trees. 
Several  of  the  largest  unite  at  the  hill  on  which  the  Capitol  is  situated.  These 
bear  the  names  of  the  several  States  of  the  Union. 

Washington  is  the  residence  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the 
other  chief  executive  officers  of  the  Federal  Government,  and  of  foreign  ministers 
to  the  United  States.  Congress  meets  here  annually  on  the  first  Monday  of 
December,  and  the  Supreme  Federal  Court  holds  its  annual  sessions  here. 

The  population  of  the  city  is  23,364,  including  4808  free  blacks,  and  1713 
slaves ;  but,  during  the  session  of  Congress,  the  city  is  thronged  with  visitors 
from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  buildings  which  it  contains  are  in  three  distinct 
parts ;  one  portion  being  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  navy-yard,  another  in  that 


DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA.  49 


of  the  Capitol,  and  another  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  which  extends  from  the 
Capitol  to  the  President's  house. 

The  Capitol  is  a  large  and  magnificent  building  of  freestone,  352  feet  long,  in 
the  shape  of  a  cross,  with  the  Representatives'  Hall  and  the  Senate  Chamber  in 
the  two  wings,  and  a  spacious  rotunda  in  the  centre.  The  Hall  of  Representa 
tives  is  semicircular,  95  feet  in  length,  and  60  in  height,  lighted  from  the  top  ;  it 
is  one  of  the  most  elegant  halls  in  the  world.  The  Senate  Chamber  is  of  the 
same  shape,  and  74  feet  long.  The  rotunda  is  96  feet  in  diameter,  and  is  96  feet 
high  to  the  top  of  the  dome  within.  It  is  all  of  marble,  and  the  floor  is  beauti 
fully  paved  ;  the  whole  has  a  most  grand  and  imposing  effect.  Several  pieces  of 
sculpture  are  placed  in  niches  in  the  walls,  representing  events  in  American 
history.  The  sound  of  a  single  voice  uttered  in  this  apartment  is  echoed  from 
the  dome  above  with,  a  rumbling  like  distant  thunder.  The  National  Library 
is  contained  in  the  Capitol,  and  embraces  also  a  series  of  national  paintings  by 
Trumbull. 

The  President's  house,  also  of  freestone,  is  two  stories  high,  with  a  lofty  base 
ment,  and  it  has  a  front  of  180  feet,  adorned  with  an  Ionic  portico ;  it  is  surrounded 
by  extensive  grounds.  On  each  side  are  the  four  offices  of  the  executive  depart 
ments  ;  on  the  west  are  the  War  and  Navy,  and  on  the  east  the  State  and  Trea 
sury  departments.  The  General  Post-office,  recently  built  of  marble,  is  situated 
about  half-way  between  the  President's  house  and  the  Capitol ;  near  it  is  the 
Patent  Office,  a  handsome  edifice  of  freestone,  the  upper  part  of  which  is  occupied 
by  the  National  Institute.  There  are  also  here  an  arsenal  and  a  navy-yard,  with 
a  city  hall,  an  hospital,  penitentiary,  insane  asylum,  21  churches,  the  halls  of 
Columbia  College,  &c.  A  branch  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal  terminates 
in  the  city. 

Georgetown  is  about  three  miles  west  of  the  Capitol,  and.  is  pleasantly  situated, 
commanding  a  prospect  of  the  river,  the  neighbouring  city,  and  the  diversified 
country  in  the  vicinity.  The  houses  are  chiefly  of  brick,  and  there  are  many  ele 
gant  villas  in  different  parts.  The  Catholic  College  here  is  a  respectable  institu 
tion.  Georgetown  is  a  thriving  place,  and  4has  considerable  commerce ;  but  the 
navigation  of  the  river  is  obstructed  by  a  bar  just  below  the  town ;  here  is  also  a 
cannon  foundery,  4  banks,  7  churches,  &c.  The  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal 
commences  at  this  place.  Population,  7312.  The  city  of  Alexandria,  six  miles 
below  Washington,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Potomac,  carries  on  an  extensive 
trade  in  flour,  tobacco,  &c.  The  city  is  regularly  laid  out;  it  has  a  good  harbour, 
with  commodious  wharves,  and  is  accessible  to  the  largest  ships.  Here  are  a 
High  School,  a  girls'  boarding-school,  under  the  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity, 
an  Orphan  Asylum,  10  churches,  several  tanneries,  engine  manufactories,  foun- 
deries,  cotton-mills,  &c.  Population,  8459.  A  branch  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Canal  extends  from  Georgetown  to  this  place. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 

THE  States  of  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Florida,  Ala 
bama,  Mississippi,  and  Louisiana,  are  those  usually  termed  the  Southern  States : 
the  whole  region  extends  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Sabine  river :  its  coasts  are 
washed  on  the  east  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  on  the  south  by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
The  area  of  the  whole  region  is  about  420,000  square  miles. 

The  tract  of  country  in  the  Southern  States  bordering  on  the  Atlantic,  is  a  low 
sandy  plain,  from  50  to  100  miles  broad,  and,  in  general,  covered  with  pine  forests. 
Beyond  this,  towards  the  Alleghanies,  it  becomes  elevated  and  hilly,  and  then 
mountainous.  Those  portions  of  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  Louisiana,  which  bor 
der  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  are  low  and  level.  In  the  interior  they  are  diversi 
fied,  and  in  some  parts  mountainous.  The  low  countries  in  all  the  Southern  States 
are  mostly  barren,  except  on  the  borders  of  rivers,  where  the  soil  is  very  fertile. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Southern  States  are  nearly  all  occupied  with  agricul- 
ture.  The  commerce,  which  is  extensive,  is  principally  in  the  hands  of  foreign- 

32 


50 


UNITED  STATES. 


ers,  or  of  their  northern  countrymen,  and  carried  on  in  northern  vessels.  The 
great  staples  of  this  region  are  cotton,  rice,  sugar,  and  tobacco :  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  cotton  crop  of  the  United  States  is  raised  here,  which,  with  rice  and  sugar, 
is  confined  to  its  southern  section  :  in  the  northern  the  principal  productions  are 
tobacco,  wheat,  and  corn:  in  the  low  regions  of  the  Carolinas,  pitch-pine  grows 
in  great  perfection ;  and  tar,  pitch,  turpentine,  and  lumber,  are  the  staples  of  these 
districts.  Gold  is  almost  exclusively  confined  to  the  upper  and  middle  portions 
of  this  region,  and  is  now  so  extensively  found  as  to  have  become  an  object  of 
national  importance. 

The  rivers  of  the  Southern  States,  south  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  are  generally  dis 
tinguished  by  sluggish  currents,  and  sand-bars  at  their  mouths.  Although  there 
is  no  stream,  exclusively  belonging  to  this  section  of  the  Union,  that  can  be  ranked 
in  point  of  extent  with  the  great  rivers  of  the  country,  there  are  several  which, 
from  the  length  of  their  course  and  the  volume  of  waters  which  they  flow,  would 
in  other  countries  be  considered  as  large  streams ;  and  there  are  not  a  few  which 
furnish  useful  navigable  channels. 

The  population  is  chiefly  of  English  descent,  but  is  in  some  places  somewhat 
mixed.  There  are  many  descendants  of  the  French  and  Spanish,  particularly  in 
Louisiana  and  Florida.  In  Louisiana  the  French  language  is  extensively  spoken, 
and  the  laws  and  some  of  the  newspapers  are  printed  both  in  that  tongue  and  in 
English. 

The  negroes,  who  form  more  than  two-fifths  of  the  population,  constitute  a 
separate  class,  an^  re  mostly  held  in  slavery.  The  Indians  were  formerly  nu 
merous  and  c«'  ^d  several  powerful  tribes,  but  they  have  mostly  emigrated 
westward.  ^w  Cherokees,  Choctaws,  and  Chickasaws,  still  remain,  but  art 

all  under  br-..iy  stipulations  to  remove,  and  will  doubtless  soon  rejoin  the  tribes 
beyond  the  Mississippi. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Southern  States  are  seldom  collected  together  in  villages 
and  towns,  like  their  northern  countrymen,  but  live  in  a  scattered  manner  ove 
the  country.  This  is  in  a  measure  owing  to  the  predominance  of  agriculture  ove 
commercial  and  mechanical  occupations,  but  principally  to  the  circumstance  tha 
the  bulk  of  the  labour  is  performed  by  slaves.  Instead  of  small  proprietors  tilling; 
their  little  farm  with  their  own  hands,  we  here  find  extensive  plantations  culti 
vated  under  the  direction  of  the  owner  or  his  agent,  who  merely  attends  to  the 
pecuniary  affairs,  directs  the  operations  and  oversees  the  labourers.  This  state  ol 
things  has  a  decided  influence  upon  the  manners  and  character  of  the  people,  ye 
there  are  individual  differences  so  great  that  no  general  description  will  applj 
equally  to  the  Virginian,  the  Carolinian,  and  the  Louisianian.  Generosity,  grea 
hospitality,  a  high  sense  of  honour,  and  a  manly  independence  of  thought  am 
conduct,  are  among  the  favourable  traits  of  the  southern  character.  The  poore 
class  of  whites  are  in  general  less  frugal  and  industrious,  and  enjoy  fewer  advan 
tages  in  respect  to  education  and  religious  instruction  than  the  same  class  in  th< 
Northern  States.  Population  of  the  Southern  States,  in  1840,  4,648,991,  of  whom 
1,944,748  were  slaves,  and  112,710  free  blacks. 


COMMONWEALTH    OF    VIRGINIA. 

NATURE  has  bestowed  on  Virginia  advantage  of  position,  soil,  climate,  and  navi 
gable  rivers.  She  is  often  distinguished  by  the  title  of  the  Ancient  Dominion 
probably  from  the  circumstance  of  her  having  been  the  first  settled  of  the  colonies 

This  State  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio ;  soutl 
by  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee ;  east  by  Maryland  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  anc 
on  the  west  by  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  Extent  from  north  to  south,  220  miles ;  frorr 
east  to  west,  370  miles.  Area,  about  64,000  square  miles. 

Every  portion  of  Virginia  is  penetrated  by  fine  rivers  and  streams,  useful  eithe 
as  channels  of  navigation,  or  for  mechanical  purposes.  The  principal  rivers  are 
the  Potomac,  Shenandoah,  James,  Rappahannock,  Mattapony,  Pamunky,  York 
Rivanna,  Appomattox,  Elizabeth,  Nottoway,  Meherrin,  Staunton,  Ohio,  Sandy 
Great  Kanawha,  Little  Kanawha,  and  the  Monongahela  and  its  principal  branches 


VIRGINIA. 


51 


The  Alleghany  range  of  mountains,  with  its  numerous  ridges,  covers  the  whole 
uiddle  section  of  this  State,  and  gives  it  a  rugged  surface.  The  country  east  of 
the  mountains  descends  gradually  to  the  flat  and  sandy  alluvion  of  the  coast, 
rhe  district  west  of  Jthe  mountains  is  hilly.  The  soil  varies  greatly,  being  sandy 
ind  sterile  on  the  coast,  very  fertile  on  the  banks  of  rivers,  and  productive  in  the 
valleys  of  the  Alleghanies.  The  climate  is  equally  varied,  being  hot,  moist,  and 
unhealthy  in  the  lower  alluvial  country,  and  cool  and  salubrious  among  the  moun 
tains.  To  the  productions  common  to  the  northern  and  middle  sections  of  the 
Union,  this  State  adds  the  sweet-potato,  the  finest  tobacod,  and  in  the  southern 
sarts  cotton  as  a  crop.  The  productions  of  the  north  and  the  south,  apples  and 
wheat,  cotton  and  tobacco,  meet  here  as  in  Tennessee  in  the  western  country. 
The  temperature,  soil,  and  circumstances,  are  supposed  to  be  favourable  in  the 
lighest  degree  to  the  cultivation  of  the  grape  and  the  silk  mulberry. 

The  mineral  wealth  of  Virginia  is  boundless  ;  gold,  copper,  lead,  iron,  coal,  salt, 
imestone,  marls,  gypsum,  magnesian,  copperas,  and  alum  earths,  thermal,  chaly 
beate,  and  sulphuretted  springs,  excellent  marbles,  granites,  soap-stones  and  sand 
stones,  &c.,  are  among  the  treasures  as  yet  for  the  most  part  lying  idle  in  the 
bowels  of  the  earth.  Mining  industry  has,  however,  recently  taken  a  start,  and 
will  doubtless  soon  afford  profitable  employment  to  many  of  the  inhabitants. 

Of  the  metallic  products  of  Virginia,  gold  is  one  of  the  most  important  It 
is  found  on  both  sides  of  the  North  arid  Rapid  Ann  rivers,  of  the  North  and 
South  Anna  near  their  heads,  of  the  Rivanna  in  the  lower  part  of  its  course,  and 
of  the  James  river  above  and  below  the  mouth  of  the  Rivanna.  The  belt  of 
country  in  which  this  metal  exists,  extends  through  Spottsylvania,  and  some 
neighbouring  counties,  in  a  south-west  direction,  into  North  and  South  Carolina, 
Georgia,  and  Alabama.  In  this  State  the  gold  is  diffused  over  large  surfaces,  and 
has  not  been  found  sufficiently  in  mass,  except  in  a  few  places,  to  make  mining 
profitable ;  about  $52,000  worth  was  obtained  in  1840. 

Vast  fields  of  coal  exist  in  Virginia,  both  of  the  bituminous  and  anthracite 
kinds  ;  of  the  former,  great  beds  have  been  found  spreading  over  an  extent  of  many 
miles,  in  which  the  seams  are  sometimes  30,  40,  and  even  60  feet  thick,  and  of 
excellent  quality.  Coal  has  been  mined  and  exported  in  considerable  quantities 
from  the  vicinity  of  Richmond,  for  many  years  past.  Iron  ore  exists  also  in  vast 
quantities,  in  various  parts  ;  in  some  places  it  is  found  between  immense  layers 
of  coal. 

Salt  springs  occur  at  various  places ;  at  some  of  which  works  for  manufacturing 
the  water  into  salt  have  been  erected  :  the  most  important  are  on  the  Great  Ka- 
nawha  river,  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston.  The  quantity  made  here  is  about  I 
1,500,000  bushels  annually;  70  gallons  of  brine  yielding  1  bushel  of  salt.  Vir 
ginia  contains  a  profusion  of  mineral  springs,  of  great  and  various  virtues,  many 
of  which  have  acquired  much  reputation  for  their  medicinal  properties,  and  som^e 
of  them  are  much  resorted  to. 

The  population  in  1790  was  747,610;  in  1800,  886,149;  in  1810,  074,622;  in 
1820,  1,065,366;  in  1830,  1,211,272;  in  1840,  1,239,797;  of  whom  448,987 
were  slaves.  Of  the  free  population,  371,223  were  white  males;  369,745  white 
females;  23,814  were  coloured  males;  26,020  coloured  females.  Employed  in 
agriculture,  318,771;  in  mining,  1995;  in  commerce,  6361 ;  in  manufactures  and 
trades,  54,147;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  582;  do.  canals,  rivers,  &c.,  2952 ;  in 
the  learned  professions,  3866. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  326,438  mules  and  horses;  1,024,148  neat 
cattle;  1,293,772  sheep;  1,992,155  swino.  Poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of 
$754,698.  There  were  produced,  10,109,716  bushels  of  wheat;  1,482,799  of 
rye;  87,430  of  barley;  243,822  of  buckwheat;  34,577,591  of  Indian  corn; 
13,457,062  of  oats;  2,944,660  of  potatoes ;  2,538,374  pounds  of  wool ;  75,347,106 
of  tobacco;  2956  of  rice;  3,494,483  of  cotton  ;  1,541,833  of  sugar;  3191  of  silk 
cocoons;  364,708  tons  of  hay;  25,594  of  hemp  and  flax;  1,500,000  bushels  of 
salt.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $1,480,488;  of  the  orchard,  at 
$705,765;  of  lumber,  at  $538,092;  and  13,911  gallons  of  wine  were  made. 

The  exports  of  the  State  for  the  year  ending  September  30th,  1841,  were 


UNITED  STATES. 


$5,630,286,  and  the  imports  were  $337,237.     The  tonnage  entered  was  34,275 ; 
and  the  tonnage  cleared  was  63,243. 

The  manufactures  of  Virginia  are  not  so  extensive  as  those  of  many  States 
inferior  to  it  in  territory  and  population.  Home-made  or  family  manufactures 
amounted,  in  1840,  to  $2,441, 672;  47  fulling-mills  and  41  woollen  manufactories 
employed  a  capital  of  $112,350,  and  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $147,792 ; 
22  cotton  manufactories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $446,063,  with  a  capi 
tal  of  $1,299,020;  42  furnaces  produced  18,810  tons  of  cast-iron,  and  52  forges 
produced  5886  tons  of  bar-iron,  employing  a  capital  of  $1,246,650;  11  smelting 
houses  produced  golcfeto  the  amount  of  $51,758,  employing  a  capital  of  $103,650 ; 
5  smelting  houses  produced  878,648  pounds  of  lead,  with  a  capital  of  $21,500; 
12  paper-mills  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $216,245;  3342  persons  manu 
factured  tobacco  to  the  amount  of  $2,406,671,  employing  a  capital  of  $1,526,080; 
764  flouring-mills  produced  1,041,526  barrels  of  flour,  and  with  other  mills  pro 
duced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $7,855,499,  employing  capital  to  the  amount  of 
$5,184,669 ;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $136,807  ;  capital  employed  in 
the  fisheries,  $28,383.  The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  in 
the  State,  was  $11,360,861. 

William  and  Mary's  College,  at  Williamsburg,  is  the  oldest  in  the  State,  and 
one  of  the  oldest  in  the  country,  founded  in  1691 ;  Hampden  Sydney  College,  in 
Prince  Edward  county,  was  founded  in  1783,  and  is  flourishing;  Washington 
College,  at  Lexington,  was  founded  in  1812  ;  Randolph  Macon  College,  at  Boyd- 
town,  was  founded  in  1832.  There  are  theological  schools  at  Richmond,  in 
Prince  Edward  and  Fairfax  counties.  The  most  important  literary  institution  in 
the  State  is  the  University  of  Virginia,  at  Charlottesville,  founded  in  1819.  In 
the  above  colleges,  and  a  few  others,  there  were,  in  1840,  1097  students;  there 
were  in  the  State,  382  academies,  with  11,083  students;  and  1561  common  and 
primary  schools,  with  35,331  scholars.  There  were  in  the  State,  58,787  white 
persons  over  20  years  of  age  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

The  Baptists, '  the  most  numerous  religious  denomination,  had,  in  1836,  435 
churches,  261  ministers,  and  54,302  communicants;  the  Methodists  had  168 
ministers  and  41,763  communicants;  the  Presbyterians  had  117  churches,  90 
ministers,  and  11,413  communicants;  the  Episcopalians  had  one  bishop,  one 
assistant  bishop,  65  ministers,  and  about  3000  communicants ;  the  Lutherans  had 
24  congregations  and  7  ministers;  the  Reformed  Baptists  (Campbellites)  had 
about  10,000  communicants;  the  Roman  Catholics  had  10  congregations;  the 
Unitarians  had  one  minister ;  there  were  also  some  Friends  and  Jews. 

Virginia  has  undertaken  several  important  works  of  internal  improvement,  by 
chartering  private  companies,  which  have  been  aided  liberally  by  the  State.  The 
Dismal  Swamp  Canal  connects  Chesapeake  Bay  with  Albermarle  Sound,  extend 
ing  from  Deep  Creekj  a  tributary  of  the  former,  to  Joyce's  Creek,  a  branch  of 
Pasquotank  river,  of  Albermarle  Sound,  23  miles  long.  It  has  branches  of  11 
miles.  A  canal  extends  along  James  river,  from  Richmond  to  Lynchburg;  and 
this  communication  is  designed  to  be  extended  by  canal  and  rail-road  to  the  Ohio 
river,  by  the  Great  Kanawha.  No  other  spot  between  New  York  and  Georgia 
presents  an  equally  favourable  country  for  a  line  of  communication  across  the 
Alleghany  mountains.  The  whole  length  will  be  about  425  miles.  A  rail-road 
extends  from  the  Potomac  river,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Aquia  Creek,  to  Fredericks- 
burg,  and  thence  to  Richmond,  in  the  whole  75  miles.  It  proceeds  from  Rich 
mond  to  Petersburg,  23  miles,  and  from  Petersburg  to  Weldon,  on  the  Roanoke 
river,  59  miles,  where  it  unites  with  the  rail-road  to  Wilmington,  N.  C.  A  rail 
road  proceeds  from  a  point  on  the  Fredericksburg  and  Richmond  road,  north-west 
to  Gordonsville,  50  miles.  A  rail-road  extends  from  Petersburg  to  City  Point,  12 
miles.  Another  extends  from  Winchester  32  miles  to  Harper's  Ferry,  where  it 
unites  with  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail-road.  Greensville  rail-road  connects  the 
Petersburg  and  Roanoke  rail-road  with  the  Raleigh  and  Gaston  rail-road,  N.  C., 
extending  from  Hicksford,  18  miles  to  Gaston.  The  Chesterfield  rail-road,  13^ 
miles  long,  extends  from  the  Chesterfield  coal-basin  to  tide-water  in  James  river, 
at  Manchester,  opposite  Richmond. 

Richmond,  the  capital  of  the  State,  and  its  principal  city,  stands  on  several 


VIRGINIA.  53 


eminences,  which  command  fine  views  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  give  to 
the  city  an  air  of  singular  beauty.  The  western  division  occupies  a  high  plain 
called  Shockoe  Hill,  overlooking  the  lower  town,  and  containing  a  beautiful 
square  of  about  ten  acres,  which  is  adorned  with  fine  shade  trees,  and  laid  out  in 
gravelled  walks ;  here,  in  a  commanding  situation,  stands  the  Capitol  or  State- 
House,  one  of  the  most  elegant  structures  in  the  Unjted  States,  containing  a 
statue  of  Washington  by  Houdon;  and  contiguous  to  it  is  the  City  Hall,  a  neat 
edifice  of  the  Doric  order.  The  other  public  buildings  are  the  Armory,  Peni 
tentiary,  16  churches,  a  theatre,  &c.  The  city  is  supplieoWith  pure  water  from 
three  reservoirs,  each  containing  1,000,000  gallons,  and  filled  by  two  pumps, 
which  raise  at  the  rate  of  800,000  gallons  in  the  24  hours.  Richmond  is  110 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  which  carries  15  feet  of  water  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  city,  and  affords  boat  navigation  for  220  miles  above  the  falls.  These 
advantages  enable  it  to  carry  on  an  extensive  trade,  both  inland  and  by  sea ;  the 
annual  value  of  the  exports  being  about  6,000,000  dollars,  in  addition  to  a  valu 
able  coasting  trade.  Large  quantities  of  wheat,  flour,  tobacco,  &c.,  are  brought 
down  by  the  James  River  Canal.  The  falls  of  the  river  immediately  above  the 
city  afford  an  unlimited  water-power,  which  is  largely  applied  to  manufacturing 
purposes;  there  are  here  21  flouring-mills,  making  annually  75,000  barrels  of 
flour;  an  extensive  iron-works,  with  which  is  connected  rolling  and  slitting  mills, 
and  nail  factories,  besides  numerous  tobacco  factories,  a  large  cotton  mill,  paper 
mill,  &c.  The  capital  employed  in  manufacturing,  in  1840,  amounted  to  $1,372,950. 
Population,  in  1840,  21,153.  Manchester,  on  the  south  side  of  James  river,  is 
connected  with  Richmond  by  Mayo's  Bridge.  It  contains  several  factories,  360 
houses,  and  about  1500  inhabitants.  A  rail-road  extends  from  this  place  13  miles 
westward,  to  the  coal-mines,  which  yield  a  million  bushels  of  coal  annually. 

The  principal  sea-port  of  this  State  is  Norfolk,  which  is  situated  on  the  Eliza 
beth  river,  eight  miles  from  Hampton  Roads.  Its  harbour  is  deep  and  capacious 
easy  of  access,  and  perfectly  secure;  the  Road,  an  expansion  of  James  river  just 
above  its  mouth,  affords  the  finest  anchorage  in  the  world,  and  is  capable  of  con 
taining  its  united  navies.  The  entrance,  between  Old  Point  Comfort  and  a  sand 
bar  called  the  Rip  Raps,  is  rather  more  than  a  mile  in  width,  and  is  defended  by 
Fort  Monroe  and  Fort  Calhoun.  Thp  favourable  situation  of  Norfolk,  in  regard 
to  the  sea,  and  its  connexion  with  the  interior  by  means  of  the  Dismal  Swamp 
Canal  and  the  Portsmouth  and  Roanoke  Rail-road,  have  made  it  the  chief  com 
mercial  dep6t  of  Virginia,  and,  in  1840,  19,079  tons  of  shipping  belonged  to  the 
port.  The  town  is  built  on  low  ground,  and  the  neighbourhood  is  marshy  ;  the 
principal  streets  are  well  paved  and  clean,  but  the  others  are  less  commodious 
and  more  irregular.  The  buildings  are  not  distinguished  for  elegance,  but  some 
improvements  have  been  made  of  late  years  in  this  respect.  There  are  8  churches, 
3  banks,  a  marine  hospital,  a  theatre,  lyeeum,  &c.,  and  a  population  of  10,920. 
At  Gosport,  in  Portsmouth,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  is  one  of  the  most 
important  navy-yards  of  the  United  States,  containing  a  magnificent  dry-dock,  of 
hewn  granite,  constructed  at  a  cost  of  974,356  dollars.  Population  of  Portsmouth, 
6500.  Suffolk  is  a  thriving  little  town  to  the  south-west,  with  1500  inhabitants ; 
it  stands  on  the  Nansernond  river,  and  is  accessible  to  vessels  of  100  tons. 

Petersburg,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Appomattox  river,  is  a  handsome  and  flou 
rishing  town,  with  11,136  inhabitants-, 'combining  an  active  trade  in  cotton,  flour, 
and  tobacco,  with  manufacturing  industry.  Vessels  drawing  seven  feet  of  water 
come  up  to  the  town,  but  large  ships  unload  at  City  Point,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  The  falls  of  the  Appomattox  furnish  ample  water-power,  and  there  are 
here  several  cotton-mills,  merchant  flour-mills,  grist,  and  saw-mills,  rope-walks, 
woollen  factory,  &c.  Some  distance,  above  Petersburg,  and  also  on  the  Appo 
mattox  river,  is  Farmville,  a  flourishing  town,  incorporated  in  1832 ;  it  contains 
2  large  tobacco  warehouses,  5  tobacco  factories,  and  various  mechanic  shops. 
Population  about  1000. 

North-west  from  Richmond,  and  on  the  Rivanna  river,  is  Charlottesville,  with 
about  1000  inhabitants.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  in  a  charming  valley,  and  de 
rives  its  interest  from  its  being  the  seat  of  the  Virginia  University.  The  halls  of  this 


ig  the  seat  of  the  Virginia  University, 
fine  collection  of  buildings.     Three  i 


valuable  institution  form  a  fine  collection  of  buildings.     Three  miles  from  Char- 


54  UNITED  STATES. 


lottesville  is  Monticello,  the  seat  of  the  late  President  Jefferson.  The  mansion 
occupies  a  lofty  summit  of  the  South-West  Mountain,  500  feet  above  the  Rivanna, 
and  commands  a  view  of  the  Blue  Ridge  on  the  west,  and  of  the  low  country  as 
far  is  the  eye  can  reach  on  the  east.  A  simple  granite  obelisk  over  the  grave  of 
Jefferson  bears  this  inscription,  written  by  himself:  Thomas  Jefferson,  Author  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  Founder  of  the  University  of  Virginia.  Nearly 
west  from  Richmond,  and  120  miles  distant,  is  Lynchburg,  situated  on  the 
southern  bank  of  James  river.  It  is  a  neat  and  flourishing  town,  carrying  on  an 
active  trade,  and  containing  some  manufactories.  The  water-power  afforded  by 
the  river  is  partially^  employed  in  propelling  a  cotton-mill,  and  several  saw  and 
flour-mills ;  and  there  are  here  tanneries,  tobacco  factories,  &e.  Several  hand 
some  packet-boats  ply  daily  on  the  river,  between  this  place  and  Richmond. 
The  town  is  supplied  with  water  from  a  reservoir  containing  400,000  gallons, 
fed  by  a  double  forcing-pump,  and  placed  at  such  an  elevation  as  to  throw  a 
copious  stream  over  the  tops  of  the  houses.  Lynchburg  is  one  of  the  largest 
tobacco  markets  in  the  world  ;  from  15,000,000  to  20,000,000  pounds  are  inspected 
annually.  Population,  6395.  Danville,  on  the  Dan  river,  which  is  navigable 
by  boats  some  distance  above,  is  a  flourishing  village,  with  1200  inhabitants; 
its  position  commands  some  trade,  and  there  are  some  manufactories  here. 

The  Great  Valley  Section  consists  of  an  elevated  table-land  between  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  the  Alleghany  chain,  from  1200  to  1500  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is, 
however,  traversed  by  several  mountain  chains,  forming  numerous  subordinate 
valleys,  at  once  fertile  and  picturesque,  and  constituting  a  region  of  singular 
wildness  and  beauty.  Its  rare  combination  of  great  agricultural  resources  with 
extraordinary  mineral  riches,  must  one  day  render  it  the  seat  of  a  populous  and 
wealthy  community.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  valley  stands  the  town  of  Harper's 
Ferry,  celebrated  for  the  majestic  scenery  in  its  vicinity.  The  town  has  a  popu 
lation  of  about  2000  inhabitants,  and  contains  three  churches,  an  academy,  two 
Masonic  halls,  one  of  the  largest  flouring-mills  in  the  Union,  an  Arsenal  of  the 
United  States,  containing  about  85,000  stands  of  arms,  and  an  Armory  for  the 
manufacture  of  fire-arms.  A  rail-road  extends  from  -this  place  to  Winchester, 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  towns  in  the  State,  with  3454  inhabitants.  It  stands 
on  the  site  of  old  Fort  Loudon,  in  the  midst  of  a  very  rich  and  highly-cultivated 
tract,  inhabited  by  an  industrious  and  thriving  population.  Winchester  is  the 
depot  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  its  trade  and  manufactures  are  extensive. 

Fred  eric  ksburg  is  a  flourishing  town  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Rappa- 
hannock  river,  which  admits  vessels  of  140  tons  up  to  the  town.  Its  situation 
makes  it  the  depot  of  a  well-cultivated  tract,  and  its  trade  is  considerable.  To 
bacco,  wheat,  flour,  corn,  &c.,  are  the  principal  articles  of  exportation.  Popula 
tion,  3974.  Falmouth,  Port  Royal,  Tappahannock,  and  Urbanna,  are  small  villages 
on  the  Rappahannock.  In  Westmoreland  county,  on  the  Potomac,  is  shown  the 
spot  where  Washington  was  born;  the  house,  which  stood  on  Pope's  creek, 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  river,  on  a  plantation  called  Wakefield,  is  now  in  ruins. 
A  simple  stone,  with  the  inscription,  Here,  on  the  \\th  of  February  1732,  George 
Washington  was  born,  designates  the  consecrated  spot.  Further  up  the  river, 
eight  miles  from  Alexandria,  is  Mount  Vernon,  the  seat  and  the  tomb  of  that 
great  and  good  man.  The  mansion-house  is  a  simple  wooden  building,  two  sto 
ries  high,  with  a  plain  portico  extending,  the  whole  length,  and  commanding  a 
view  of  the  river;  the  tomb  is  merely  a  walled  excavation  in  the  bank,  with  a 
brick  front  and  closed  by  an  iron  door. 

Leesburg,  a  few  miles  east  of  the  Potomac  river,  is  a  neat  and  thriving  town, 
with  about  2000  inhabitants,  situated  in  a  productive  and  highly  cultivated  dis 
trict.  Fairfax,  further  south,  is  a  flourishing  village,  and  further  on  is  Barbours- 
ville,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  are  the  seat  and  tomb  of  the  late  President  Ma 
dison. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  State  is  the  city  of  Wheeling,  surrounded  by  rich 
coal-beds  and  a  highly  fertile  country  ;  and,  standing  at  the  head  of  stearn-boat 
navigation  on  the  Ohio  during  the  season  of  low  water,  is  one  of  the  most  flour 
ishing  trading  towns  in  the  country.  The  population  increased  from  1567  in 
1820,  to  7885  in  1840.  Over  20  steam-Wats  are  owned  here,  and  great  quantities 


VIRGINIA.  55 


f  goods  are  forwarded  to  this  point  in  wagons  by  the  National  Road  from  the 
jast,  and  by  keel-boats,  flat-boats,  and  steamers  down  the  river.  Iron-founderies, 
steam-engine  factories,  cotton  and  woollen-mills,  glass-houses  and  cut-glass  works, 
lour,  paper,  and  saw-mills,  copperas,  white-lead,  sheet-lead,  and  tobacco-manu- 
'actories,  are  among  the  manufacturing  establishments.  There  are  exported 
'rom  Wheeling  annually  1,500,000  bushels  of  bituminous  coal. 


STATE   OF   NORTH  CAROLINA. 

NORTH  CAROLINA  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Virginia}  east  by  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  south  by  South  Carolina,  and  west  by  Tennessee.  Length  362  miles,  and 
breadth  121  miles ;  area,  43,800  square  miles.  The  country,  for  more  than  60 
miles  from  the  coast,  is  a  low  plain,  with  many  swamps  and  inlets  from  the  sea 
The  greater  portion  of  this  district,  except  along  the  water-courses,  is  a  vast  forest 
of  evergreens.  The  rich  lands  near  the  swamps  and  rivers  are  insalubrious. 
Having  passed  this  monotonous  region,  we  emerge  to  the  pleasant  and  mild  parts 
of  the  State,  at  the  base  of  the  Alleghanies,  from  whose  summits  the  eye  tra 
verses  an  immense  extent  of  beautiful  country  to  the  west,  and  vision  is  lost  in 
an  agreeable  succession  of  hill,  dale,  forest,  and  valley. 

In  the.  western  part  of  the  State  the  Blue  Ridge,  which  forms  the  separating 
line  between  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Mississippi,  attains  an  elevation 
of  about  5500  feet.  The  western  boundary  of  the  State  is  formed  by  the  pro 
longation  of  the  same  ridge ;  its  different  parts  are  known  by  various  local  names 
one  of  which,  the  Black  Mountain,  has  been  recently  ascertained  to  be  the  mos 
lofty  in  the  United  States,  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  its  height  is  6476  feet 
or  48  feet  more  elevated  than  Mt.  Washington :  another  summit  of  the  Blu 
Ridge,  the  Roan  Mountain,  is  6038  feet  in  height.  The  tract  between  the  twc 
ridges  is  an  elevated  table-land,  from  2000  to  2500  feet  above  the  sea. 

'North  Carolina  abounds  in  considerable  rivers,  but  enjoys  few  facilities  for  navi 
gation  in  proportion  to  the  number  and  size  of  the  streams,  which  are  shallow  o: 
broken  in  their  course,  or  lose  themselves  in  lagoons  difficult  of  access,  or  an 
obstructed  by  bars.  The  Chowan  flows  into  Albemarle  Sound,  and  admits  smal 
vessels  to  Murfreesboro'.  The  Roanoke  also  empties  itself  into  the  same  shallow 
basin.  The  Tar  River  and  the  Neuse  both  flow  into  Pamplico  Sound  :  the  first  is 
navigable  90  miles,  to  Tarboro',  and  the  latter  to  Kingston.  Cape  Fear  river,  th< 
principal  stream,  which  has  its  whole  course  within  the  State,  rising  on  the  north 
ern  border,  pursues  a  south-easterly  course  of  280  miles,  and  enters  the  ocean  a 
Cape  Fear;  the  Waccarnaw,  the  Lumber,  and  Yadkin,  which  take  the  name: 
of  the  Little  and  Great  Pedee,  and  the  Catawba,  which  rises  in  the  Blue  Ridge 
all  flow  into  South  Carolina;  while  the  French  Broad,  Little  Tennessee,  Hiwas 
see,  and  New  river,  descend  in  an  opposite  direction  from  the  same  range. 

The  swamps  are  a  striking  feature  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State.  Th< 
Dismal  Swamp  lies  in  the  north-eastern  part  and  extends  into  Virginia.  It  is  3( 
miles  in  length  and  10  in  breadth.  In  the  centre,  on  the  Virginia  side,  is  Lab 
Drumrnond,  15  miles  in  circuit;  a  canal  is  carried  through  it  from  Norfolk  to  Al 
bemarle  Sound.  Between  Albemarle  and  Pamplico  Sound  is  another,  called  Alii 
gator  Swamp  ;  this  has  been  partly  drained,  and  the  land  rendered  fit  for  the  cul 
tivation  of  rice.  These  swamps  have  a  clay  bottom,  over  which  lies  a  thicl 
stratum  of  vegetable  compost.  The  drained  lands  are  found  to  be  exceeding!; 
fertile. 

The  pine  forests  of  North  Carolina,  which  cover  nearly  the  whole  of  the  east 
ern  part  of  the  State,  yield  not  only  much  lumber  for  exportation,  but  also  nearl] 
all  the  resinous  matter  used  in  ship-building  in  this  country.  The  resinous  pro 
ducts  are  turpentine,  spirits  of  turpentine,  rosin,  tar,  and  pitch;  turpentine  i 
merely  the  sap  of  the  tree  obtained  by  making  an  incision  in  the  bark ;  the  tur 
pentine  flows  out  in  drops,  which  fall  into  a  box  placed  to  receive  them. 

Among  the  mineral  productions,  the  most  important  appear  to  be  gold  and  iron 

The  gold  region  of  North  Carolina  embraces  the  section  on  both  sides  of  the  Blui 

Rid*ge,  and  extends  to  the  east  of  the  Yadkin.     The  surface  mines  are  the  mos 

— —  Z 


56  UNITED  STATES. 


easily  worked,  but  the  vein  mines  are  the  most  durable.  In  almost  any  part  of 
this  district,  gold  may  be  found  in  greater  or  less  abundance.  It  exists  in 
grains  or  masses  from  almost  imperceptible  particles,  to  pieces  of  one  or  two 
pounds  weight;  one  of  the  .largest  lumps  ever  found,  was  dug  up  in  Cabarras 
county — it  was  worth  between' 7  and  8000  dollars.  Lumps  from  the  value  of 
100  or  200  to  1000  dollars,  are  not  uncommon. 

The  great  diversity  of  climate  between  the  eastern  lowlands  and  the  western 
high  country,  produces  a  corresponding  diversity  in  the  agricultural  productions 
of  the  two  sections  ;  while  the  former  yields  cotton,  rice,  and  indigo,  the  more 
northern  grains  and  fruits  thrive  in  the  latter,  which  yields  wheat,  Indian-corn, 
tobacco,  and  hemp,  v 

The  population  of  North  Carolina,  in  1790,  was  393,754;  in  1800,  478,103; 
in  1810,  555,500;  in  1820,  638,829;  in  1830,  738,470;  in  1840,  753,419;  of 
whom  245,817  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  population,  240,047  were  white  males ; 
244,823  white  females;  11,226  were  coloured  males;  10,505  were  coloured 
females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  217,095;  in  commerce,  1734 ;  in  manufac 
tures  and  trades,  14,322 ;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  327 ;  do.  canals,  rivers,  &c., 
379;  in  the  learned  professions,  1086. 

There  were  in  this  State,  in  1840,  166,608  horses  and  mules;  617,371  neat 
cattle;  538,279  sheep;  1,649,716  swine.  There  were  produced,  1,960,885 bush 
els  of  wheat;  15,391  of  buckwheat;  213,971  of  rye;  23,893,763  of  Indian-corn ; 
3574  of  barley;  3,193,941  of  oats;  2,609,239  of  potatoes;  625,044  pounds  of 
wool;  16,772,359  of  tobacco;  2,820,388  of  rice;  51,926,190  of  cotton;  3014  of 
silk  cocoons;  101,369  tons  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at 
$674,349;  of  the  orchard,  at  $386,006  ;  of  lumber,  at  $506,766.  There  were 
made  28,752  gallons  of  wine.  The  exports  of  the  State,  in  1840,  amounted  to 
$387,484,  and  the  imports  to  $252,532. 

The  amount  of  home-made  or  family  manufactures,  in  1840,  was  $1,413,246; 
25  cotton  manufactories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $438,950;  10  smelt- 
ing-houses  produced  gold  to  the  amount  of  $255,619  ;  hats  and  caps  were  manu 
factured  to  the  amount  of  $38,170 ;  353  tanneries  employed  a  capital  of  $271,979  ; 
240  other  manufactories  of  leather,  as  saddleries,  &c.,  produced  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $185,387;  323  flouring-mills  produced  87,641  barrels  of  flour,  and 
with,  other  mills  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $1,552,096;  vessels  were 
built  to  the  amount  of  $62,800;  2802  distilleries  produced  1,051,979  gallons  of 
spirits;  tar,  pitch,  turpentine  and  rosin,  593,451  barrels.  Amount  of  capita" 
employed  in  the  fisheries,  $213,500.  Total  amount  employed  in  manufactures 
$3,838,900. 

The  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel  Hill,  was  founded  in  1791 ;  Da 
vidson  College,  in  Mecklenburg,  founded  in  1837.  In  these  institutions  there 
were,  in  1840,  158  students.  There  were  in  the  State  141  academies,  with  4398 
students;  and  632  common  and  primary  schools,  with  14,950  scholars.  There 
were  in  the  State  56,609  white  persons  above  the  age  of  20  who  could  neither 
read  nor  write. 

Of  religious  denominations,  the  Methodists  and  Baptists  are  the  most  numerous 
they  have  each  about  20,000  communicants;  the  Presbyterians,  about  11,000 
communicants.     The  Episcopalians  have  a  Bishop  and  20 ministers;  the  Luther 
ans  have  18  ministers,  38  congregations,  and  1890  communicants.     Besides  these, 
there  are  some  Moravians,  Friends,  and  Roman  Catholics. 

A  rail-road  extends  from  Wilmington,  161  miles,  to  Weldon,  on  the  Roanoke 
river.  Another  also  extends  from  Raleigh,  87  miles,  to  Gaston.  These  works 
unite  with  others  from  Virginia.  The  Dismal  Swamp  Canal  of  Virginia,  extends 
into  North  Carolina,  (see  Virginia). 

Raleigh,  the  capital  of  the  State,  not  far  from  the  west  bank  of  the  Neuse,  is  a 
thriving  town  with  2244  inhabitants.  A  fine  State-House  of  granite  has  been 
erected  here,  in  place  of  the  one  destroyed  by  fire  in  1831,  when  Canova*s  statue 
of  Washington  was  unfortunately  ruined.  Fayetteville  is  a  busy  and  flourishing 
town,  at  the  head  of  boat  navigation  on  Cape  Fear  river,  with  4285  inhabitants. 
It  contains  an  United  States  Armory.  Salem,  Salisbury,  and  Charlotte,  are 
small  towns  in  this  section.  The  last  mentioned  has  of  late  rapidly  increased  in 


NORTH  CAROLINA.  57 


importance  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  the  gold  mines.     Population  about 
1000.    It  contains  a  United  States  Mint  for  the  coinage  of  gold. 

Beaufort,  the  only  port  of  North  Carolina  directly  upon  the  sea,  admits  vessels 
drawing  12  feet  of  water,  and  the  harbour  is  safe  and  commodious ;  but  the  town 
is  inconsiderable.  Wilmington,  40  miles  from  the  sea  on  Cape  Fear  river,  is  the 
most  important  commercial  town  of  the  State,  and  it  carries  on  a  considerable 
trade  with  the  West  Indies.  The  population  is  about  4744.  Newbern,  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  river  Neuse,  80  miles  from  Pamplico  Sound,  is  a  place  of  some 
commerce,  although  large  vessels  cannot  come  up  to  the  town,  and  the  navigation 
is  tedious  and  difficult  for  smaller  craft.  Population,  3690.  Washington  and 
Tarboro',  on  the  Pamplico  river,  Plymouth  and  Halifax,  on  the  Roanoke,  Eden- 
ton,  on  the  Chowan,  and  Elizabeth,  on  the  Pasquotank,  are  small  trading  towns. 


STATE   OF   SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

THE  State  of  South  Carolina  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  north-east  by  North 
Carolina,  south-east  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  south-west  by  Georgia,  from 
which  it  is  separated  by  the  Savannah  river;  it  is  in  length  188  miles,  by  160  in 
breadth,  the  area  being  about  30,000  square  miles.  The  rivers  of  South  Carolina 
afford  some  considerable  navigable  facilities  for  small  river-craft;  but,  in  the 
lower  part  of  their  course,  they  are  shallow,  and  obstructed  by  bars.  The  prin 
cipal  are  the  Waccamaw,  Pedee,  Black  river,  Santee,  Cooper,  Ashley,  Stono, 
Edisto,  Ashepoo,  Combahee,  Coosaw,  Broad,  and  Savannah. 

The  harbours  of  this  State  are  generally  of  Jittle  value;  but  the  coast  presents 
numerous  entrances,  which  are  accessible  to  small  vessels,  and  which  afford 
advantages  for  an  active  coasting  trade.  The  harbour  of  Charleston  is  obstructed 
at  the  entrance  by  a  dangerous  sand-bar,  and  that  of  Georgetown  will  only  admit 
small  vessels.  The  harbour  of  Beaufort,  or  Port  Royal,  is  the  best  in  the  State, 
and  is  sufficient  to  receive  a  navy,  but  is  little  frequented.  St.  Helena  Sound  is 
the  most  spacious  opening  for  a  great  distance  along  the  coast ;  but,  although 
about  three  miles  wide  and  ten  miles  long,  it  is  too  much  beset  with  shoals  to 
be  of  any  great  commercial  value. 

The  sea-coast  is  bordered  with  a  fine  chain  of  islands,  between  which  and  the 
shore  there  is  a  very  convenient  navigation.  The  main  land  is  by  nature  divided 
into  the  lower  and  upper  country.  The  low  country  extends  80  or  100  miles 
from  the  coast,  and  is  covered  with  extensive  forests  of  pitch-pine,  called  pine 
barrens,  interspersed  with  swamps  and  marshes  of  a  rich  soil;  beyond  this  is  the 
sand-hill  region,  60  miles  in  width,  the  sterile  hills  of  which  have  been  compared 
to  the  arrested  waves  of  the  sea  in  a  storm.  To  this  distance  the  broad  extent  of 
country  is  denominated  the  lower  country;  beyond  it  we  approach  the  ridge,  or 
upper  country,  the  Atlantic  ascent  of  which  is  precipitous.  From  the  summit 
stretches  a  fine  belt  of  table-land,  fertile  and  well  cultivated,  watered  by  rivers, 
and  irrigated  by  smaller  streams,  extending  from  the  Savannah  to  Broad  river. 
The  country  beyond  the  ridge  resembles  in  its  scenery  the  most  interesting  of  the 
northern  States.  The  traveller  is  gratified  by  the  pleasant  alternation  of  hill  and 
dale,  the  lively  verdure  of  the  hills  is  contrasted  with  the  deeper  tints  of  the 
extensive  forests  which  decorate  their  sides,  and,  in  the  valleys,  broad  rivers  roll 
their  streams  through  the  varied  beauties  of  luxuriant  and  cultivated  fields.  The 
ascent  hence  to  the  mountains  is  gradual  and  imperceptible.  A  number  of  moun 
tains  of  striking  forms,  here  swell  with  their  peaks  to  a  very  considerable  eleva 
tion.  Table  Mountain  is  the  most  conspicuous ;  its  summit  is  supposed  to  be 
4000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

The  low  country  is  infested  with  many  of  the  diseases  which  spring  from  a 
warm,  moist,  and-unelastic  atmosphere.  Of  these,  the  most  frequent  are  fevers, 
from  which  the  inhabitants  suffer  more  than  from  any,  or  perhaps  from  all  other 
diseases  together.  The  districts  of  the  upper  country  enjoy  as  salubrious  a  cli 
mate  as  any  part  of  the  United  States.  During  the  most  unhealthful  period  of  the 
year,  it  is  customary  for  the  wealthy  South  Carolinians  to  seek  relaxation  in  a 

•  33 


58  UNITED  STATES. 


tour  through  the  northern  States,  or  in  a  sojourn  at  some  of  the  watering-places 
in  the  upland  country. 

The  staple  commodities  of  this  State  are  cotton  and  rice;  the  latter,  first  intro 
duced  in  1693,  is  raised  only  in  the  low  country,  where  the  immense  swamps  in 
which  it  is  grown  may  be  easily  irrigated,  by  means  of  the  rise  of  the  tide  in  the 
rivers.  Indigo  was  for  some  time  an  important  staple ;  its  culture  was  introduced 
in  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  and,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  revolutionary 
war,  about  1,000,000  pounds  were  exported  annually;  but,  toward  the  close  of 
the  century,  the  price  was  so  much  lowered  by  large  importations  from  the  East 
Indies  into  England,  that  it  gave  way  to  cotton,  which  is  raised  on  the  same 
lands. 

There  are  no  manufactures  of  any  importance  in  South  Carolina,  but  the  com 
merce  is  extensive;  it  consists  in  the  exports  of  rice,  cotton,  lumber,  &c.,  and  of 
large  quantities  of  the  productions  of  Georgia  and  North  Carolina,  and  in  the 
import  of  manufactured  articles,  wines,  tropical  fruits,  &c.,  for  home  consumption. 

The  region  in  which  gold  is  found  extends  through  this  State.  Although  the 
mines  are  abundant,  the  diggings  have  been  less  numerous  than  in  North  Caro 
lina.  Various  ochres,  used  in  painting,  are  found  near  Yorkville.  Marble,  lime 
stone,  iron  and  lead  ore,  potters'  clay,  fullers'  earth,  nitrous  earth,  talc,  and  most 
of  the  useful  fossils,  are  common. 

The  population  in  1790  was  249,073;  in  1800,  345,591;  in  1810,  415,115;  in 
1820,  502,741;  in  1830,  581,185;  in  1840,  594,398;  of  whom  327,038,  or 
something  more  than  one-half  of  the  population,  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  popu 
lation,  130,496  were  white  males;  128,588  white  females;  3864  were  coloured 
males;  4412  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  198,363;  in  commerce, 
1958;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  10,325;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  381 ;  do. 
rivers,  canals,  &c.,  348;  in  the  learned  professions,  1481. 

According  to  the  census  of  1840,  there  were  in  the  State  120,921  horses  and 
mules;  572,608  neat  cattle;  232,981  sheep;  878,532  swine.  There  were  pro 
duced  968,354  bushels  of  wheat;  44,738  of  rye ;  14,722,805  of  Indian  corn; 
3967  of  barley;  1,486,208  of  oats;  2,698,313  of  potatoes;  299,170  pounds  of 
wool;  60,590,860  ofrice ;  61,710,274  of  cotton ;  51,519  of  tobacco ;  30,000  of 
sugar;  2080  of  silk  cocoons;  24,618  tons  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy 
were  valued  at  $577,810;  of  the  orchard,  at  $52,275;  of  lumber,  $537,684. 

The  exports  of  this  State,  for  the  year  ending  Sept.  30,  1840,  amounted  to 
$8,043,284;  and  the  imports  to  $1,567,431.  The  tonnage  entered  was  55,620 
tons,  and  the  tonnage  cleared  92,185. 

The  amount  of  home-made  or  family  manufactures,  was  $930,703;  there  were 
3  woollen  factories  which  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $1000;  employing  a 
capital  of  $4300  ;  15  cotton  factories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $359,000, 
and  employed  a  capital  of  $617,450;  4  furnaces  produced  1250  tons  of  cast-iron; 
9  forges  produced  1165  tons  of  bar-iron  ;  the  whole  employing  a  capital  of 
$113,300;  5  smelting-houses  produced  gold  to  the  amount  of  $37,418,  and  em 
ployed  a  capital  of  $40,000  ;  one  paper-mill  produped  to  the  amount  of  $20,800, 
with  a  capital  of  $30,000;  164  flouring-mills  produced  58,458  barrels  of  flour  ; 
and,  with  other  mills,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $1,201,678,  and  em 
ployed  a  capital  of  $1,668,804  ;  250  distilleries  produced  102,288  gallons  of  dis 
tilled  spirits,  employing  a  capital  of  $14,342  ;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount 
of  $60,000.  The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was 
$3,216;970. 

Of  religious  denominations  the  Methodists  are  the  most  numerous  ;  at  the 
commencement  of  1836  they  had  37,503  communicants;  the  Baptists  had  314 
churches,  226  ministers,  and  36,276  communicants;  the  Presbyterians  had  90 
churches  and  70  ministers  ;  the  Episcopalians  had  50  churches,  one  bishop,  and 
43  ministers;  the  Lutherans  had,  in  1840,  24  ministers,  34  congregations,  and 
1667  communicants;  there  were  also  Roman  Catholics,  Unitarians,  Friends, 
Universalists  and  Jews. 

The  most  important  literary  institution  in  the  State  is  the  College  of  South 
Carolina,  founded  in  1804.  There  is  a  theological  seminary  connected  with  the 


SOUTH  CAROLINA.  59 


institution.  In  both  departments  there  were,  in  1843,  216  students.  Charleston 
College  was  founded  in  1795,  and  has  about  50  students.  The  medical  institu 
tion  in  Charleston  has  8  professors  and  158  students.  There  were  in  the  State, 
in  1840,  117  academies  or  grammar-schools,  with  4236  students;  and  566  com 
mon  or  primary  schools,  with  12,520  scholars.  There  were  20,615  free  white 
persons,  over  20  years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

South  Carolina  has  several  important  works  of  internal  improvement.  The 
Santee  canal,  extending  22  miles  from  Charleston  harbour  to  Santee  river,  was 
finished  in  1802.  Through  this  canal,  and  the  improvement  of  the  Santee  and 
Congaree  rivers,  a  steamboat  communication  has  been  opened  from  Charleston 
to  Columbia.  Winyaw  canal  extends  from  Winyaw  bay,  7£  miles,  to  Kinlock 
creek,  a  branch  of  the  Santee  river.  The  navigation  of  Catawba  river  has  been 
improved  by  five  short  canals,  with  an  aggregate  length  of  11^  miles.  The  South 
Carolina  rail-road  extends  136  miles,  from  Charleston  to  Hamburg.  It  was 
commenced  in  1830,  and  completed  in  1834.  It  has  since  been  sold  to  the 
Charleston,  Louisville,  and  Cincinnati  Rail-road  Company.  This  company  con 
template  the  formation  of  the  longest  rail-road  yet  undertaken  in  the  United 
States.  Its  entire  length,  from  Charles^n  to  Cincinnati,  will  be  718  miles. 
The  Branchville  and  Columbia  rail-road  extends  from  Branchville,  or  the  South 
Carolina  rail-road,  66  miles,  to  Columbia,  and  is  to  form  a  part  of  the  Charles 
ton,  Louisville,  and  Cincinnati  rail-road. 

Charleston,  the  principal  city  of  South  Carolina,  and  the  largest  city  in  the 
Atlantic  States  south  of  the  Potomac,  stands  on  a  point  of  land  between  the 
Ashley  and  Cooper  rivers,  six  miles  from  the  ocean.  It  is  regularly  laid  out, 
with  streets  running  east  and  west  from  river  to  river,  and  others  intersect 
ing  them  nearly  at  right  angles,  from  north  to  south.  Among  the  public 
buildings  are  26  churches,  the  City  Hall,  Exchange,  two  Arsenals,  Theatre, 
College  Halls,  Aims-House,  Orphan  Asylum,  &e. ;  the  City  Library  contains 
about  18,000  volumes,  and  the  Orphan  Asylum  supports  and  educates  250  desti 
tute  children.  The  city  is  healthier  than  the  surrounding  country,  and  the 
planters  from  the  low  country,  and  many  opulent  West-Indians,  spend  the  sum 
mer  here.  Its  commerce  is  extensive,  comprising  nearly  the  whole  of  that  of 
the  State,  and  its  shipping  amounted,  in  1840,  to  29,250  tons.  The  population 
increased  from  18,711,  in  1800,  to  29,261,  in  1840;  of  which  number  14,673  were 
slaves ;  including  the  Neck,  which  is  adorned  with  numerous  plantations  in  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  the  population  is  estimated  to  exceed  40,000  souls. 
The  approach  to  the  city  is  defended  by  Fort  Moultrie,  on  Sullivan's  Island,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  and  by  Castle  Pinckney  opposite  the  extreme  point 
of  the  city  within. 

Columbia,  the  capital  of  the  State,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  Congaree, 
below  the  junction  of  the  Saluda  and  Broad  rivers.  It  is  regularly  laid  out 
with  very  wide  streets,  and  .is  a  neatly-built  town  with  3500  inhabitants.  It 
contains  a  handsome  State-House,  a  Lunatic  Asylum,  the  Halls  of  South  Caro 
lina  College,  and  several  churches.  Granby  is  a  little  town  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river.  Camden  is  a  place  of  some  trade,  situated  on  a  rising  ground  on 
the  Wateree,  with  about  1000  inhabitants.  It  is  noted  for  the  two  battles  fought 
near  it  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  the  first-  of  which  the  Baron  De  Kalb 
was  slain. 

Beaufort,  to  the  south  of  Charleston,  is  a  little  town  on  Port  Royal  Island 
about  16  miles  from  the  sea,  with  a  fine  harbour,  which  is  little  used.  George 
town,  to  the  north,  on  Winyaw  Bay,  being  the  dep6t  of  an  extensive  and  well- 
cultivated  district,  has  considerable  trade,  but  is  not  accessible  to  vessels  drawing 
more  than  11  feet  of  water.  It  is,  however,  unhealthful,  and  during  the  autumn 
many  of  the  inhabitants  resort  to  North  Island  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay.  Popu 
lation  about  2000.  Cheraw,  on  the  Pedee,  near  the  North  Carolina  line,  is  a 
town  of  about  1000  inhabitants;  its  trade  is  very  considerable.  Greeneville,  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  State,  is  a  neat  town  of  about  1000  inhabitants ;  it  is  situ 
ated  in  the  midst  of  a  salubrious  and  fertile  country. 


17* 


60  UNITED  STATES. 


STATE    OF   GEORGIA. 

GEORGIA  is  bounded  north  by  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina,  north-east  by 
South  Carolina,  and  south-east  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  south  by  Florida,  and  west 
by  Alabama.  Length,  300  miles  ;  breadth,  200 ;  area,  58,000  square  miles.  The 
principal  rivers  of  Georgia  are  the  Savannah,  (which  forms  the  boundary  between 
it  and  South  Carolina,)  Alatamaha,  Ogeeehee,  Satilla,  Ockmulgee,  Oconee,  St. 
Mary's,  Chattahoochee,  Flint,  Tallapoosa,  and  Coosa.  The  coast  of  Georgia,  for 
four  or  five  miles  inland,  is  a  salt  marsh,  mostly  uninhabited.  In  front  of  this, 
towards  the  sea,  there  is  a  chain  of  islands  of  a  grey,  rich  soil,  covered  in  their 
natural  state  with  pine,  hickory,  and  live-oak,  and  yielding,  on  cultivation,  the 
finest  quality  of  sea-island  cotton.  The  principal  are  Wassaw,  Ossabaw,  St. 
Catherine,  Sapelo,  St.  Simon's,  Jekyl,  and  Cumberland.  Beyond  the  swamps 
which  line  the  coast,  commences  that  extensive  range  of  pine-barrens  closely  re 
sembling  those  of  South  Carolina;  above  this  range  the  country  begins  to  be 
pleasantly  diversified  by  gentle  undulations.  This  region  is  bounded  on  the  west 
by  the  Blue  Ridge,  which  here  swells  Jnto  elevations  1500  feet  in  height,  which 
thence  subside,  and  are  lost  in  the  sea.  Beyond  the  mountains  is  an  extensive 
and  rich  table-country,  with  a  black  soil  of  great  fertility. 

The  climate  of  Georgia  differs  but  little  from  that  of  South  Carolina.  The 
low-country  planters  have  their  sickly  season  and  summer  retreats  in  the  high 
pine  woods.  The  districts  central  to  the  rice-swamps,  in  the  Carolinas  and 
Georgia,  are  universally  insalubrious.  There  are  districts  in  this  State  that  ap 
proach  nearer  to  tropical  temperature  than  any  part  of  South  Carolina,  and  better 
adapted  to  the  sugar-cane,  olive,  and  sweet  orange.  The  hilly  and  western  parts 
are  as  healthy  as  any  in  America.  As  an  average  of  the  temperature,  winter 
may  be  said  to  commence  in  the  middle  of  December,  and  terminate  in  the  mid 
dle  of  February.  The  climate  of  the  low-country  compares  very  nearly  with 
that  of  Louisiana. 

The  mineral  resources  of  Georgia  are  but  imperfectly  known ;  copper  and  iron 
have  been  found,  but  the  most  valuable  mineral  production,  hitherto,  has  been 
gold.  It  occurs  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  on  both  sides  of  the  Chattahoo 
chee  river  as  far  north  as  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  to  a  considerable,  but  not  well- 
ascertained  distance  on  the  south. 

The  great  agricultural  staples  of  Georgia  are  cotton  and  rice.  The  cotton  crop 
has  amounted  to  400,000  bales,  and  the  rice  to  35,000  casks.  Some  sugar  and 
tobacco  are  also  raised.  The  fruits  are  figs,  oranges,  melons,  pomegranates, 
lemons,  citrons,  pears,  peaches,  &c. 

'  The  population  of  Georgia,  in  1790,  was  82,584;  in  1800,  162,686;  in  1810, 
252,433;  in  1820,  348,989;  in  1830,  516,567;  in  1840,  691,392;  of  whom 
280,944  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  population,  2 10,534  were  white  males;  197,161 
white  females;  1374  were  coloured  males;  1379  coloured  females.  Employed 
in  agriculture,  209,283  ;  in  commerce,  2428 ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  7984 ; 
in  mining,  574 ;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  262 ;  do.  rivers,  canals,  &c.,  352 ;  in 
the  learned  professions,  1250. 

There  were  in  this  State,  in  1840,  157,540  horses  and  mules;  884,414  neat 
cattle;  267,107  sheep;  1,457,755  swine.  Poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of 
$449,623.  There  were  produced,  1,801,830  bushels  of  wheat;  60,693  of  rye; 
20,905,122  of  Indian  corn;  12,979  of  barley ;  1,610,030  of  oats;  1,211,366  of 
potatoes;  162,894  of  tobacco;  12,384,732  of  rice;  163,392,396  of  cotton;  329,744 
of  sugar.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $605,172;  of  the  orchard 
at  $156,122 ;  of  lumber  at  $114,050.  There  were  made  8647  gallons  of  wine. 
The  exports  of  the  State,  in  1840,  amounted  to  $6,862,959,  and  the  imports  to 
$491,428. 

The  family  or  home-made  articles  amounted  to  $1,467,630.  The  capital  em 
ployed  in  manufactures  amounted  to  $2,889,565,  chiefly  in  flouring  and  other 
mills,  cotton  factories,  tanneries,  &c. ;  14  furnaces  produced  494  tons  of  cast-iron, 
and  employed  a  capital  of  $24,000. 

The  University  of  Georgia,  located  at  Athens,  is  the  principal  literary  institu- 


GEORGIA.  61 


tion  in  the  State,  and  was  designed  to  have  an  academic  branch  in  each  county. 
A  few  only  of  those  have  heen  opened.  It  was  founded  in  1788,  and  has  heen 
well  endowed.  In  this  institution  and  its  branches,  there  were,  in  1840,  622  stu 
dents.  There  were  in  the  State  176  academies  or  grammar-schools,  with  7878 
students,  and  601  common  or  primary  schools,  with  15,561  scholars.  Of  the 
population,  30,717  white  persons  over  20  years  of  age  could  neither  read  nor 
write. 

The  Baptists  are  the  most  numerous  of  the  religious  denominations ;  they  had, 
in  1835,  583  churches,  298  ministers,  and  41,810  communicants.  The  Methodists 
in  Georgia  and  Florida  had  80  travelling  preachers,  33,442  communicants,  of 
whom  25,005  were  whites,  8436  were  coloured.  The  Presbyterians  had  75 
churches,  45  ministers,  and  4882  communicants.  The  Episcopalians  had  4  minis 
ters;  the  Protestant  Methodists  had  20  congregations  and  15  ministers;  the 
Christians  had  15  or  20  ministers;  the  Roman  Catholics  4  ministers;  the  Uni 
tarians  2  ministers.  There  are  also  some  few  Lutherans,  Associate  Reformed 
Presbyterians,  Friends,  and  Jews. 

Georgia  has  several  important  works  of  internal  improvement.  The  Savannah 
and  Ogeechee  canal  extends  16  miles,  from  Savannah  to  Ogeechee  river;  it  was 
completed  in  1829.  The  Brunswick  canal  extends  12  miles,  from  the  Alata- 
mana  river  to  Brunswick.  The  Georgia  rail-road  extends  westward  from  Au 
gusta,  170  miles,  to  Marthasville.  The  Athens  branch  extends  from  the  Georgia 
rail-road  23  miles,  to  Athens.  The  Western  and  Atlantic  rail-road  is  designed 
to  continue  the  Georgia  rail-road  to  Chattanooga,  on  the  Tennessee  river,  130 
miles.  The  Central  rail-road  extends  from  Savannah  197  miles,  to  Macon,  and 
is  now  in  progress  of  completion  from  Macon  to  be  united  with  the  Georgia  rail 
road  near  Decatur.  The  Hiwassee  rail-road,  also  in  progress,  will  begin  at  a 
point  on  the  Western  and  Atlantic  rail-road,  and  will  be  carried  thence  to  Knox- 
ville,  in  Tennessee. 

The  city  of  Savannah  is  advantageously  situated  for  a  commercial  town,  being 
accessible  to  large  ships  from  the  sea,  and  communicating  with  the  interior  by  the 
noble  river  on  which  it  stands.  It  is  built  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Savannah, 
on  a  high  bank  rising  about  50  feet  above  the  water,  from  which  it  makes  a  fine 
appearance,  with  its  spacious  and  regular  streets,  and  its  handsome  public  build 
ings,  mingling  pleasantly  with  the  groves  of  trees  which  surround  them  and 
adorn  the  squares  and  principal  streets.  The  site  was  formerly  unhealthy,  on 
account  of  the  surrounding  swamps,  but  this  evil  has  been  cured  by  judicious 
drainings.  In  1820  it  suffered  much  from  a  terrible  fire,  but  it  has  recovered  from 
this  shock,  and  is  at  present  one  of  the  most  flourishing  cities  in  the  Southern 
States.  It  contains  13  churches,  a  Court-House,  Exchange,  Arsenal,  Jail,  U.  S. 
Barracks,  an  Academy,  Theatre,  2  Asylums,  a  Poor-House,  Hospital,  Market- 
House,  besides  banks,  &c.  Population  in  1840,  11,214.  Savannah  is  the  chief 
commercial  depot  in  the  State,  and  most  of  the  cotton  and  rice,  with  large  quan 
tities  of  the  other  articles  of  exportation,  pass  through  this  port.  There  was  ex 
ported,  in  1843,  about  300,000  bales  of  cotton,  25,000  tierces  of  rice,  and  near 
8,000,000  feet  of  lumber.  Two  companies  employ  on  the  Savannah  river  alone 
17  steam-boats,  some  of  which  are  of  iron,  and  more  than  70  tow-boats,  some 
being  as  large  as  150  tons  burthen.  In  1840,  the  tonnage  of  the  port  was  17,930 
tons. 

The  city  of  Augusta,  the  great  interior  emporium  of  the  State,  stands  on  the 
Savannah,  at  the  head  of  steam-boat  navigation.  It  is  handsomely  built,  and  con 
tains  a  City-Hall,  7  churches,  an  Hospital,  Arsenal,  Theatre,  &c. ;  a  bridge 
across  the  Savannah,  1200  feet  long,  connects  it  with  Hamburg.  The  population 
amounted,  in  1840,  to  6500.  Augusta  is  the  depot  of  an  extensive  tract  of  pro 
ductive  and  populous  country,  and  is  connected  with  the  sea  by  the  Charleston 
and  Hamburg  rail-road,  and  the  Savannah  river. 

Milled geville,  the  capital  of  the  State,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  Oconee,  at 
the  head  of  steam-boat  navigation,  and  is  a  place  of  some  trade.  Population  in 
1840,  2095.  It  contains  the  State-House,  the  Penitentiary,  on  the  Auburn  plan, 
State  Arsenal,  &c.  Athens,  a  thriving  little  town  above  Milledgeville,  is  the 
seat  of  the  University  of  Georgia.  Population,  1200. 


S2  UNITED  STATES. 


Macon  is  situated  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Ocmulgee ;  it  consisted  in 
L822  of  a  single  cabin;  in  1830  it  had  a  population  of  2600  souls,  and  in  1840, 
3927.  Its  trade  is  extensive  and  increasing;  there  is  a  considerable  number  of 
saw  and  grist-mills  in  the  vicinity.  A  great  amoMnt  of  cotton  is  shipped  from 
this  place, 

Columbus  is  situated  on  the  Ghattahoochee,  at  the  head  of  navigation,  and  430 
miles  from  the  sea.  The  town  was  first  laid  out  in  1828,  when  the  site  was  ye 
covered  with  the  native  forest;  in  1842  it  contained  over  4000  inhabitants,  with 
several  churches,  newspapers,  &c.  Steam-boats  run  regularly  from  here  to  New 
Orleans,  and  60,000  bales  of  cotton  were  shipped  from  the  town  in  1842,  when 
15  steam-boats  were  employed  on  the  Chattahoochee.  Dahlonega,  in  the  north 
ern  part  of  the  State,  between  the  Chestatee  and  Etowa,  is  the  seat  of  one  of  the 
offices  of  the  United  States  Mint. 

Darien  is  a  neat  and  thriving  little  town,  with  an  active  trade  in  cotton,  and  in 
the  lumber  which  is  brought  down  the  river  in  large  quantities.  Its  population 
is  about  2500.  Brunswick,  with  a  spacious  harbour,  is  situated  on  Turtle  river 
about  10  miles  nearly  due  west  from  the  opening  between  St.  Simon's  and 
Jekyl  islands.  St.  Mary's,  a  small  town  on  the  river  of  the  same  name,  just 
above  its  entrance  into  Cumberland  Sound,  derives  importance  from  its  fine  deep 
harbour,  the  most  southerly  on  the  coast  from  Georgia  to  Florida. 


THE   STATE   OF   FLORIDA. 

FLORIDA,  is  bounded  north  by  Alabama  and  Georgia ;  east  by  the  Atlantic 
Ocean ;  south  and  west  by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Formerly  the  name  of  Florida 
was  applied  to  the  whole  country  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  south  of  the  parallel 
of  31°  north  latitude.  The  river  Appalachicola  divided  it  into  East  and  West 
Florida.  The  part  lying  between  the  Mississippi  and  Pearl  river  is  now  included 
in  the  State  of  Louisiana ;  the  part  between  Pearl  river  and  the  Perdido,  belongs 
to  the  States  of  Mississippi  and  Alabama;  and  the  part  east  of  the  Perdidols 
the  country  that  is  now  called  Florida.  Its  mean  length,  from  north  to  south,  is 
380  miles,  and  the  mean  breadth  150,  the  area  being  57,750  square  miles. 

The  surface  of  Florida  is  in  general  level,  and  not  much  elevated  above  the 
sea.  It  is  intersected  by  numerous  ponds,  lakes,  and  rivers,  of  which  the  prin 
cipal  are  the  St.  John's,  Appalachicola,  Suwanee,  Ocklockony,  Choctawhalchie, 
Escambia,  and  Yellow- Water  rivers.  The  southern  part  of  the  peninsula  is  a 
mere  marsh,  and  terminates  at  Cape  Sable  in  heaps  of  sharp  rocks,  interspersed 
with  a  scattered  growth  of  shrubby  pines. 

The  gulf  stream  setting  along  tiie  coast  has  here  worn  away  the  land,  forming 
those  islands,  keys  and  rocks,  known  by  the  general  name  of  Reefs,  or  Keys, 
between  which  and  the  main  land  is  a  navigable  channel.  These  islands  con 
tain  some  settlements  and  many  good  harbours.  One  of  the  most  important  is 
Key  West,  6  miles  long  and  two  in  breadth,  on  which  is  the  town  of  Key  West, 
a  naval  station,  and  the  seat  of  an  admiralty  court:  the  harbour  is  good,  well 
sheltered,  and  of  sufficient  depth  of  water  to  admit  the  largest  vessels. 

The  eddies  which  set  towards  the  shore  from  the  gulf  stream  cause  many  ship 
wrecks  on  this  part  of  the  coast,  furnishing  employment  to  the  Bahama  wreckers. 
The  soil  of  Florida  is  in  some  parts,  especially  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  equal 
to  any  in  the  world ;  in  other  parts,  it  is  indifferent ;  and  there  are  large  tracts 
which  are  represented  to  be  of  little  value. 

Live-oak  timber  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  products  of  Florida.  The  fig, 
pomegranate,  orange,  and  date,  are  among  the  fruits;  cotton  is  the  chief  agricul 
tural  staple;  the  sugar-cane  is  also  pretty  extensively  cultivated;  rice  is  raised 
in  large  quantities;  and  indigo  formerly  furnished  a  valuable  article  of  exporta 
tion,  but  is  now  only  raised  for  family  use.  But  Florida  is  on  the  whole  better 
suited  for  a  grazing  country ;  and  its  vast  herds  of  cattle,  horses,  swine,  &c., 
find  a  boundless  extent  of  range  in  its  fine  pastures. 

The  climate,  from  October  to  June,  is  generally  salubrious;  but  the  months  of 


FLORIDA.  63 


uly,  August,  and  September,  are  hot  and  uncomfortable  ;  and  during  this  season, 
evers  are  prevalent  At  St.  Augustine,  however,  the  climate  is  delightful,  and 
his  place  is  the  resort  of  invalids. 

In  the  year  1822  Spain  ceded  Florida  tfl  the  United  States,  in  compensation 
or  spoliations  committed  on  the  commerce  of  the  latter.  From  that  time,  it  was 
governed  as  a  territory  until  1845,  when  it  became  a  State.  Florida  was  lately, 
"or  several  years,  the  theatre  of  a  war  between  the  United  States  and  the  Semi- 
lole  Indians.  In  1818  this  tribe  was  conquered  by  General  Jackson,  and  agreed 
o  abandon  the  territory  and  remove  west  of  the  Mississippi.  Preparations  were 
nade  for  their  removal  in  1835,  but  being  reluctant  to  leave  their  country,  they 
commenced  hostilities  under  Osceola;  but,  after  a  protracted  war,  they  were  at 
ength  subdued.  The  Indians  are  now,  for  the  most  part,  removed  to  a  desirable 
country  beyond  the  Mississippi,  where,  it  is  hoped,  that  they  will  remain  undis- 
urbed  and  at  peace  with  their  neighbours. 

The  population,  in  1830,  was  34,723  ;  in  1840,  54,477  ;  of  which  16,456  were 
white  males,  and  11,487,  females;  free  coloured  persons,  males,  398;  females, 
419;  slaves,  males,  13,038;  females,  12,679.  There  were  employed  in  agri 
culture  12,117;  in  commerce  481  ;  in  manufactures  and  trades  1177;  in  navi 
gating  the  ocean  435;  on  canals  and  rivers  118;  in  the  learned  professions,  and 
engineers,  204. 

There  were  in  the  State  in  1840,  12,043  horses  and  mules;  118,081  neat  cat- 
;le;  7198  sheep;  92,680  swine;  poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of  $61,007; 
jushels  of  Indian  corn  898,974;  75,274  pounds  of  tobacco;  481,420  of  rice ; 
12,110,533  of  cotton;  and  275,317  of  sugar.  A  small  amount  of  rye  and  hay 
was  produced. 

The  manufactures  are  inconsiderable;  the  amount  of  capital  employed  in  that 
sranch,  in  1840,  was  $669,490 ;  and  in  home-made  or  family  articles  $20,205. 
There  is  no  college,  at  present,  in  Florida.  In  1840  there  were  18  academies 
and  grammar-schools,  with  732  students ;  and  51  common  and  primary  schools 
with  925  scholars.  There  were  1303  white  persons,  over  20  years  of  age,  who 
could  neither  read  nor  write. 

St.  Augustine  is  the  oldest  town  in  Florida,  and  also  in  the  United  States  ;  it 
was  settled  by  the  Spaniards  in  1565;  it  stands  at  the  junction  of  two  small 
creeks,  called  the  Matanzas  and  the  North  River.  It  is  regularly  built,  but  the 
streets  are  narrow ;  the  houses  are  generally  two  stories  high,  surrounded  with 
balconies  and  piazzas;  it  contains  4  churches;  a  U.  S.  Barracks,  and  Land 
Office.  It  is  commanded  by  Fort  Marion,  which  stands  at  the  mouth  of  the  har 
bour.  On  Amelia  island,  the  north-eastern  corner  of  Florida,  is  the  little  village  o 
Fernandina,  which,  during  the  embargo,  and  the  late  war,  was  an  important  dep6t 

Jacksonville,  on  the  St.  Johns  river,  is  a  flourishing  town,  forming  the  depo 
of  the  trade  of  the  surrounding  country ;  it  is  also  a  considerable  thoroughfare 
In  the  middle  section  of  the  territory  are  St.  Marks,  Tallahassee,  Quincy,  Mari 
anna,  Monticello  and  A.ppalachicola.  St.  Marks  is  the  shipping-port  of  a  popu 
lous  and  productive  district,  and  is  a  growing  town,  with  a  good  harbour;  the 
entrance  affords  12  feet  water;  but  up  to  the  town,  6  miles  from  the  sea,  the  bay 
carries  only  8  feet, 

Tallahassee,  the  capital  of  Florida,  stands  on  an  eminence  in  a  fertile  district, 
and  contains  3  churches;  a  bank;  a  State  House;  jail;  market,  and  an  aca 
demy.  The  population  in  winter  is  about  2500.  Appalachicola  is  a  flourishing 
little  town,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  same  name.  It  has  a  good  harbour, 
and  its  trade  in  cotton  is  considerable ;  about  20  steamboats  navigate  the  river 
besides  other  craft;  it  has  an  Episcopal  church,  and  two  banks. 

St.  Joseph's,  on  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  is  also  a  place  of  growing  trade; 
the  bay  affords  25  to  33  feet  of  water,  and  is  well  sheltered  from  all  winds;  this 
is  connected  with  Jola,  on  the  Appalachicola  river,  by  a  rail-road.  Pensacola,  or 
the  bay  of  the  same  name,  is  important  as  a  naval  station  of  the  United  States ; 
it  is  accessible,  to  small  vessels,  through  Santa  Rosa  Sound ;  a  long,  shallow 
lagoon,  sheltered  by  the  island  of  Santa  Rosa,  which  also  fronts  the  bay  of  Pen 
sacola,  and  through  the  main  channel  to  ships  of  war,  up  to  the  navy-yard,  about 
8  miles  below  the  town.  The  population  of  Pensacola  is  about  2000. 


64  UNITED  STATES. 


STATE   OF   ALABAMA-, 

THE  State  of  Alabama  is  bounded  north  by  Tennessee,  east  by  Georgia,  south 
by  Florida,  and  west  by  the  State  of  Mississippi.  Length  280  miles ;  breadth 
160  miles  ;  area  46,000  square  miles. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Alabama,  Tombigby,  Black  Warrior,  Coosa,  Tal- 
lapoosa,  Tennessee,  Chattahoochee,  Perdido,  and  Cahawba. 

The  southern  part  of  the  country,  which  borders  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and 
West  Florida,  for  the  space  of  50  miles  wide,  is  low  and  level,  covered  with  pine, 
cypress,  &c. ;  in  the  middle  it  is  hilly,  with  some  tracts  of  open  land  ;  the  nor 
thern  part  is  somewhat  broken  and  mountainous,  and  the  country  generally  is 
more  elevated  above  the  sea,  than  most  other  parts  of  the  United  States  at  equal 
distance  from  the  ocean.  The  Alleghany  mountains  terminate  in  the  north-east 
part.  The  forest  trees  in  the  middle  and  northern  part  consist  of  black  and  white 
oak,  hickory,  poplar,  cedar,  chestnut,  pine,  mulberry,  &c. 

Alabama  possesses  great  diversity  of  soil,  climate,  natural,  vegetable,  and 
mineral  productions.  Occupying  the  valley  of  the  Mobile,  and  its  tributary 
streams,  together  with  a  fine  body  of  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Tennessee  river, 
its  position  in  an  agricultural  and  commercial  point  of  view  is  highly  advan 
tageous.  A  considerable  portion  of  that  part  of  the  State  which  lies  between  the 
Alabama  and  Tombigby,  of  that  part  watered  by  the  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa,  and 
of  that  on  the  Tennessee,  consists  of  very  excellent  land.  On  the  margin  of  many 
of  the  rivers  there  is  a  considerable  quantity  of  cane-bottom  land,  of  great  fertility, 
generally  from  a  half  to  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide.  On  the  outside  of  this,  is 
a  space  which  is  low,  wet,  and  intersected  by  stagnant  water.  Next  to  the  rivei 
swamp,  and  elevated  above  it  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  succeeds  an  extensive  body  of 
level  land  of  a  black,  rich  soil,  with  a  growth  of  hickory,  black  oak,  post  oak 
dogwood,  poplar,  &c.  After  this  come  the  prairies,  which  are  plains  of  level 
or  gently  waving  land,  without  timber,  clothed  with  grass,  herbage,  and  flowers 
and  exhibiting  in  the  month  of  May  the  most  enchanting  scenery. 

The  sugar-cane  has  been  found  to  succeed  very  well  in  the  extreme  southern 
strip,  between  Florida  and  Mississippi,  and  indigo  was  formerly  raised  ;  rice  also 
grows  well  on  the  alluvial  bottom  near  the  Gulf;  but  cotton,  which  thrives 
throughout  the  State,  is  the  great  agricultural  staple.  The  cotton  raised  in  1840 
amounted  to  117,138,822  pounds.  There  are  five  principal  and  several  other 
minor  mines  of  gold  and  silver  in  Randolph  county,  producing  about  $125,000 
annually,  and  employing  from  300  to  500  people.  There  are  inexhaustible  beds 
of  fine  iron  ore  in  the  same  county.  There  are  also  rich  mines  of  gold  and  silver 
in  Tallapoosa,  and  gold  has  also  been  found  in  Coosa,  Talladega  and  Chambers 
counties.  Iron  foundries  have  been  established  in  Benton  and  Talladega.  Nitre 
is  found  in  abundance  in  Blount.  There  are  immense  quantities  of  coal  near 
Tuscaloosa  and  in  many  other  places.  Salt  can  be  manufactured  near  Jackson, 
in  Clarke  county ;  iron  ore,  marble,  granite,  limestone,  &c.,  are  also  found  in  th4 
same  county.  Lead  ore,  in  large  quantities,  and  of  excellent  quality,  is  found 
in  the  bed  of  the  Tennessee,  on  the  Muscle  Shoals. 

Alabama  has  a  sea-coast  of  only  60  miles,  which,  however,  contains  Mobile 
Bay,  one  of  the  deepest  basins  on  the  Gulf.  It  is  about  30  miles  long,  and  from 
3  to  18  broad,  and  the  main  entrance  has  15  feet  of  water  at  low  tide  ;  but  vessels 
drawing  more  than  8  or  9  feet  cannot  approach  nearer  than  11  miles  from  the  town 
of  Mobne,  except  at  high  water. 

The  population  in  1800  was  only  2000;  in  1810,  10,000;  in  1820,  127,901; 
in  1830,  308,997 ;  in  1840,  690,756,  of  whom  253,532  were  slaves.  Free  white 
males  176,692;  do.  females  158,493;  free  coloured  males  1030;  do.  females 
1009.  Employed  in  agriculture  177,439  ;  in  commerce  2212 ;  in  manufactures 
and  trades  7195 ;  navigating  the  ocean  256  ;  do.  canals,  rivers,  &c.  758 ;  learned 
professions  1514. 

There  were  in  this  State,  in  1840,  143,147  horses  and  mules;  668,018  neat 
cattle,  163,243  sheep;  1,423,873  swine.  Poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of 
$404,994.  There  were  produced,  828,052  bushels  of  wheat;  20,947,004  of 


ALABAMA. 


65 


Indian  corn;  1,406,353  of  oats ;  1,708,356  of  potatoes;  117,138,823  pounds  of 
cotton;  273,302  of  tobacco ;  149,019  of  rice.  The  exports,  in  1840,  amounted 
to  $12,854,694,  and  the  imports  to  $574,651. 

Domestic  or  family  articles  made  in  1840,  amounted  to  $1,656,119.  The  capi 
tal  employed  in  manufactures  was  $2,130,064,  a  large  portion  of  which  was  em 
ployed  in  flouring  and  other  mills. 

The  University  of  Alabama,  at  Tuscaloosa,  La  Grange  College,  at  La  Grange, 
and  Spring  Hill  College,  near  Mobile,  are  the  principal  literary  institutions  in  the 
State;  these  had,  in  1844,  251  students.  There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  114 
academies  and  grammar-schools,  with  5018  scholars,  and  639  common  and  pri 
mary  schools,  with  16,243  scholars.  There  were  in  the  State  22,592  white  persons 
over  20  years  of  age  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

Of  the  religious  denominations,  the  Methodists  are  the  most  numerous ;  in  1842 
they  had  34,868  communicants ;  the  Baptists  had  535  churches,  254  ministers, 
and  25,934  communicants,  There  were  also  Episcopalian,  Roman  Catholics,  &c. 

This  State  has  not  neglected  works  of  internal  improvement.  Muscle-Shoals 
canal  is  designed  to  overcome  an  obstruction  in  Tennessee  river,  and  extends  from 
Florence  36  miles,  to  Brown's  Ferry,  at  the  head  of  the  shoals.  Huntsville 
canal  extends  from  Triana,  on  Tennessee  river,  to  Huntsville,  16  mile's.  Mont 
gomery  and  West  Point  rail-road  extends  from  Montgomery  to  West  Point,  at 
the  head  of  the  rapids  on  Chattahoochee  river,  87  miles.  The  Tuscumbia,  Cort- 
land  and  Decatur  rail-road  extends  from  Decatur  to  Tuscumbia,  44  miles.  The 
rail-roads  in  progress  of  construction  are  the  Selma  and  Tennessee,  from  Selma 
to  Gunter's  landing,  on  Tennessee  river,  170  miles.  The  Wetumpka,  from  We- 
tumpka,  56  miles,  to  Fort  Williams,  at  the  head  of  the  falls  of  Coosa  river,  and 
is  designed  to  unite  with  the  Selma  and  Tennessee  rail-road.  The  Cahawba  and 
Marion,  35  miles,  will  connect  the  two  places. 

The  city  of  Mobile  is  a  flourishing  commercial  town,  being  the  depdt  for  nearly 
the  whole  State  of  Alabama  and  part  of  Georgia  and  Mississippi ;  it  is  built  on  a 
dry  and  elevated  spot,  but  was  formerly  rendered  unhealthful  by  the  surrounding 
marshes ;  these,  however,  have  been  drained,  and  the  streets  have  been  paved  with 
shells,  and  of  late  years  Mobile  has  not  suffered  from  diseases.  The  harbour  is 
good,  and  numerous  steam-boats  run  on  the  Alabama  and  Tombigby  rivers  and 
to  New  Orleans.  Mobile  is  next  to  New  Orleans  the  largest  cotton  market  in 
the  United  States ;  320,000  bales  have  been  exported  here  in  one  year.  This 
city  contains  a  Court-House,  Jail,  Custom-House,  a  U.  S.  Naval  Hospital,  a 
City  Hospital,  3  banks,  the  Barton  Academy,  and  7  churches.  The  exports 
amount  to  from  12  to  16  millions  of  dollars  annually.  It  suffered  severely  by  fire 
in  1827  and  in  1839 ;  at  the  latter  period,  600  houses  were  burnt,  but  it  has  been 
rebuilt  with  increased  convenience  and  beauty.  Population,  in  1840,  12,672;  in 
1845,  over  17,000.  Blakely,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  on  a  high,  open, 
and  healthy  site,  with  deeper  water  and  a  harbour  easier  of  access  than  that  of 
Mobile,  has  not  thriven  in  the  same  manner,  and  is  only  a  little  village.  It  con 
tains  a  Court-House,  10  stores,  &c. 

Montgomery,  near  the  head  of  the  Alabama,  is  a  busy,  growing  place,  with 
about  2300  inhabitants.  Wetumpka,  on  the  Coosa,  at  the  head  of  steam-boat 
navigation,  was  cut  out  of  the  forest  in  1832,  and  in  1835  it  was  a  place  of  con 
siderable  business.  Population  in  1840,  2600.  Gainesville,  on  the  Tombigby 
river,  is  a  thriving  place,  lately  settled.  Population,  about  1200. 

Tuscaloosa,  the  capital,  stands  in  a  rich  district,  on  a  fine  site,  near  the  centre 
of  the  State,  on  the  Black  Warrior  river,  and,  being  accessible  to  steam-boats,  is 
a  place  of  considerable  trade ;  it  contains  the  State-House,  the  halls  of  the  Uni 
versity,  the  county  buildings,  &c.  The  population  of  the  town  is  about  2000. 

Florence,  below  Muscle-Shoals,  at  the  head  of  steam-boat  navigation  on  the 
Tennessee,  is  a  growing  place  of  about  2000  inhabitants,  with  a  prosperous  trade. 
Tuscumbia,  opposite  to  Florence,  is  also  a  thriving  town.  Population,  2000. 
Above  the  Shoals,  and  about  ten  miles  north  of  the  river,  is  Huntsville,  situated 
in  a  very  fertile  and  beautiful  region,  with  about  2500  inhabitants. 


66  UNITED  STATES. 


STATE   OF    MISSISSIPPI. 

THE  State  of  Mississippi  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Tennessee,  east  by  Ala 
bama,  south  by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  Louisiana,  west  by  Louisiana  and  Arkan 
sas.  It  is  about  300  miles  in  average  length,  and  160  in  breadth;  area,  about 
48,000  square  miles.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Mississippi,  Pearl,  Pascagoula, 
Yazoo,  Big  Black,  and  Tombigby.  The  Mississippi  forms  the  western  boundary 
from  lat.  31°  to  35°  north ;  308  miles  in  a  right  line,  but  by  the  course  of  the 
river  near  700  miles. 

The  Yazoo  or  Mississippi  Swamp  is  an  extensive  tract  of  country  between 
the  Yazoo  river  and  the  Mississippi,  about  175  miles  in  length  and  50  in  breadth, 
with  an  area  of  7000  square  miles.  A  considerable  part  of  it  is  annually  over 
flowed  by  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  and  at  that  period  it  assumes  the  appear 
ance  of  a  vast  marine  forest.  Many  parts  of  it  have  an  excellent  soil,  and  produce 
large  crops  of  cotton,  &c. ;  it  is  also  intersected  by  numerous  creeks  and  bayous, 
leading  to  and  from  the  Mississippi  and  Yazoo  rivers.  Numerous  mounds,  walls, 
and  enclosures,  are  found  in  it,  attesting  the  existence  of  a  considerable  population 
at  some  former  period.  The  Cold  Water  river,  the  head  branch  of  the  Yazoo, 
communicates  with  the  Mississippi  by  a  bayou  or  creek  called  the  Yazoo  Pass, 
through  which  boats  of  considerable  burthen  pass  and  repass  during  periods  of 
high  water. 

The  southern  part  of  the  State,  extending  about  100  miles  north  from  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  is  mostly  a  champaign  country,  with  occasional  hills  of  moderate  ele 
vation,  and  is  covered  with  forests  of  the  long-leaved  pine,  interspersed  with 
cypress  swamps,  open  prairies,  and  inundated  marshes.  A  considerable  portion 
of  this  part  is  susceptible  of  cultivation.  The  soil  is  generally  sandy,  sometimes 
gravelly  and  clayey.  It  is  capable  of  producing  cotton,  corn,  indigo,  sugar,  gar 
den  vegetables,  plums,  cherries,  peaches,  figs,  sour  oranges,  and  grapes. 

In  proceeding  north,  the  face  of  the  country  becomes  more  elevated  and  agree 
ably  diversified.  The  growth  of  timber  consists  of  poplar,  hickory,  oak,  black 
walnut,  sugar-maple,  buckeye,  elm,  hackberry,  &c.,  and  the  soil  is  exceedingly 
fertile,  producing  abundant  crops  of  cotton,  corn,  sweet-potatoes,  indigo,  garden 
vegetables,  and  fruit.  Nearly  all  the  country  watered  by  the  Yazoo  is  described 
as  incomparably  fertile  and  well  watered. 

Tobacco  and  indigo  were  formerly  the  staples  of  Mississippi,  but  cotton,  at  pre 
sent,  is  the  chief  production  of  the  State,  and  it  absorbs  nearly  all  the  industry 
of  the  inhabitants,  to  the  exclusion  even  of  corn  and  cattle.  The  crop  of  1840 
amounted  to  nearly  half  a  million  bales.  Some  sugar  is  produced  in  the  southern 
strip,  but  the  cane  does  not  appear  to  thrive. 

The  population,  in  1816,  was  45,921 ;  in  1820,  75,448;  in  1830,  136,806;  in 
1840,375,651;  of  whom  192,211  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  population,  97,256 
were  white  males ;  81,818  white  females ;  free  coloured  males,  715  ;  do.  females, 
654«  Employed  in  agriculture,  139,724;  in  commerce,  1303;  in  manufactures 
and  trades,  4151  ;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  33;  do.  rivers,  canals,  &c.,  100;  in 
the  learned  professions,  1506. 

There  were  in  this  State,  in  1840,  109,227  horses  and  mules;  623,197  neat 
cattle;  128,367  sheep;  1,001,209  swine.  Poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of 
$369,482.  There  were  produced,  196,626  bushels  of  wheat;  11,444  of  rye; 
13,161,237  of  Indian  corn;  1654  of  barley;  668,624  of  oats ;  1,630,100  of  pota 
toes;  175,196  pounds  of  wool ;  6835  of  wax;  83,471  of  tobacco;  777,195  of 
rice ;  193,401,577  of  cotton.  The  produce  of  the  dairy  was  valued  at  $359,585 ; 
of  the  orchard,  at  $14,458  ;  of  lumber,  at  $192,794;  tar,  pitch,  and  turpentine 
amounted  to  2248  barrels. 

The  amount  of  home-made  or  family  articles,  was  $682,945;  53  cotton  manu 
factories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $1744,  employed  a  capital  of  $6420; 
hats  and  caps  were  manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $5140,  employing  a  capital  of 
$8100;  128  tanneries  employed  a  capital  of  $70,870;  42  other  manufactories  of 
leather,  as  saddleries,  &c.,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  .$118,167,  employ 
ing  a  capital  of  $41,945;  two  persons  produced  confectionary  to  the  amount  of 


MISSISSIPPI.  67 


$10,500;  274  persons  produced  machinery  to  the  amount  of  $242,225;  132  per 
sons  produced  carriages  and  wagons  to  the  amount  of  $49,693;  16flouring-mills 
produced  1809  barrels  of  flour,  and  with  other  mills  manufactured  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $486,864;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $13,925.  The  total 
amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $1,797,727. 

There  are  three  colleges  in  this  State.  Jefferson  College,  at  Washington,  6 
miles  east  of  Natchez,  was  founded  in  1802,  and  has  been  liberally  endowed  ; 
Oakland  (College,  at  Oakland,  was  founded  in  1831,  and  is  prosperous;  Centen- 
nary  College,  at  Brandon  Springs,  was  founded  in  1841,  by  the  Methodists,  and 
is  flourishing.  The  colleges  existing  in  1840  had  about  250  students.  There 
were  in  the  State  71  academies,  with  2553  students ;  and  382  common  and  pri 
mary  schools,  with  8236  scholars.  There  were  in  the  State  8360  white  persons 
over  20  years  of  age  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

The  Methodists  and  Baptists  are  the  most  numerous  religious  denominations. 
In  1836,  the  Methodists  had  53  travelling  preachers,  and  9707  communicants; 
the  Baptists  had  84  churches,  34  ministers,  and  3199  communicants  ;  the  Episco 
palians  had  4  ministers;  the  Presbyterians,  of  different  descriptions,  had  32 
churches  and  26  ministers. 

A  rail-road  extends  from  Vicksburg,  50  miles,  to  Jackson,  and  is  extended  14 
miles  farther,  to-  Brandon.  A  rail-road  extends  from  Natchez,  and  is  designed 
to  be  continued  through  Jackson  to  Canton,  a  part  only  of  which  is  completed. 
Several  other  rail-roads  have  been  projected,  and  some  work  done  on  them. 

Natchez,  the  largest  town  in  the  State,  is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mis 
sissippi,  300  miles  above  New  Orleans.  It  consists  of  two  distinct  parts ;  the 
lower  town,  called  Natchez  under  the  Hill,  and  the  Upper  town;  the  former  is 
buiit  on  the  margin  of  the  river,  about  half  a  mile  in  length,  and  from  100  to  200 
yards  in  breadth  ;  it  is  occupied  by  warehouses,  tippling-shops,  boarding-houses 
for  the  boatmen,  &C. ;  the  upper  town  stands  on  a  lofty  bank  or  bluff,  rising 
abruptly  to  the  height  of  300  feet,  and  is  the  residence  of  the  better  class  of  citi 
zens.  The  streets  are  wide,  regularly  disposed,  and  adorned  with  fine  shade- 
trees,  and  it  is  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year  an  agreeable  and  healthful  resi 
dence.  Natchez  contains  a  Court-House,  Jail,  4  churches,  3  banks,  an  Academy, 
a  Female  Seminary,  Hospital,  an  Orphan  Asylum,  Masonic  Hall,  Theatre,  2  steam- 
mills,  &c.  It  is  a  great  cotton  mart,  and  in  the  busy  season  the  streets  are  blocked 
up  with  bales  of  cotton.  Population,  4800. 

Vicksburg,  106  miles  above  Natchez,  stands  on  the  declivity  of  several  consider 
able  eminences,  called  the  Walnut  Hills,  rising  abruptly  from  the  river.  It  is  sur 
rounded  by  numerous  plantations,  and  is  the  depot  of  a  large  tract  of  ountry,  which 
a  few  years  since  was  occupied  solely  by  Indians.  The  city  contains  a  Court- 
House,  Jail,  4  churches,  3  academies,  100  stores,  and  3200  inhabitants.  A 
number  of  steam  and  other  boats  are  constantly  in  harbour,  loading  and  unloading 
their  cargoes ;  and  a  large  amount  of  cotton  is  annually  shipped  from  hence. 
All  the  trade  of  the  Yazoo  country  centres  in  this  place.  Vicksburg  is  upwards 
of  500  miles  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by  the  Mississippi  river. 

On  the  west  bank  of  Pearl  river  is  Jackson,  the  capital-  of  the  State :  it  is 
situated  in  a  plain  about  a  half  mile  square,  on  which  stand  the  State-House,  the 
Penitentiary,  and  some  other  public  buildings.  It  contains  about  2100  inhabitants. 

Woodville,  in  the  south-western  part  of  the  State,  18  miles  from  the  Missis 
sippi,  is  a  very  pretty  village,  with  800  inhabitants.  The  little  village  of  Fort 
Adarns  is  considered  as  its  port  on  the  Mississippi,  but  Woodville  is  now  con 
nected  with  the  river  at  St.  Francisville  by  a  rnil-road. 

Port  Gibson  is  a  flourishing  little  town,  prettily  situated  on  the  Bay  oil  Pierre, 
and  laid  out  with  great  regularity.  Population,  1200.  The  river  is  navigable 
for  steam-boats  to  this  place  in  time  of  high  water,  and  a  rail-road  connects  it  with 
Grand  Gulf,  its  port  on  the  Mississippi.  The  latter,  finely  situated  on  a  natural 
terrace,  takes  its  name  from  a  remarkable  eddy  in  the  river,  and  is  a  thriving 
town  with  1000  inhabitants.  Yazoo  city,  on  the  Yazoo  river,  and  Grenada,  on 
the  Yal«busha,  are  thriving  places,  as  are  also  Aberdeen  and  Columbus,  on  the 
Tombigby  :  the  latter  place  has  a  population  of  more  than  2000,  and  an  extensive 
commercial  business  is  transacted  here. 

18 


68  UNITED  STATES. 


STATE   OF   LOUISIANA. 

LOUISIANA  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  States  of  Arkansas  and  Mississippi ; 
on  the  east,  by  the  latter  State ;  on  the  south,  by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  and  on  the 
west,  by  the  republic  of  Texas.  The  33d  degree  of  north  latitude  is  the  northern 
boundary,  west  of  the  Mississippi  river;  and  the  31st  degree  on  the  east  of  that 
river ;  the  Pearl  river  is  its  extreme  eastern  boundary,  and  the  Sabine  its  western. 
It  is  in  length  240  miles,  by  210  in  breadth ;  and  contains  48,220  square  miles. 

Three-fourths  of  the  State  are  without  an  elevation  that  can  be  properly  called 
a  hill.  The  pine  woods  generally  have  a  surface  of  a  very  peculiar  character, 
rising  into  fine  swells,  with  table  surfaces  on  the  summit,  and  valleys  intervening 
from  30  to  40  feet  deep.  The  alluvial  soil  is  level,  and  the  swamps,  which  are 
the  only  inundated  alluvions,  are  dead  flats.  The  prairies*  which  constitute  a 
large  portion  of  the  surface  of  the  State,  have,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  all  the 
distinctive  aspects  of  prairies.  To  the  eye  they  seem  as  level  as  the  still  surface 
of  a  lake.  They  are,  except  the  quaking  prairies,  higher  and  drier  than  the  savan 
nas  of  Florida. 

The  Mississippi,  after  having  formed  the  boundary  of  the  State  for  about  450 
miles,  enters  its  limits,  350  miles  from  the  sea  by  the  course  of  the  river  channel. 
Throughout  this  distance  of  800  miles,  its  western  bank  is  low,  and  flooded  in 
high  stages  of  the  river.  Outlets,  or  bayous,  receive  its  surplus  waters  during 
the  period  of  the  annual  inundation,  which  are  carried  off  by  them  to  the  sea  : 
the  principal  of  these  bayous  are  the  Atchalafaya,  Plaquemine,  La  Fourche,  &c. 
The  rivers  in  this  State,  in  addition  to  the  Mississippi,  are,  the  Red  river;  the 
Washita,  flowing  into  the  Red  river;  the  Teehe,  Vermillion,  Mermentau,  and 
Calcasieu,  run  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  together  with  the  Pearl,  on  the  east,  and 
the  Sabine,  on  the  west.  The  Red  river  is  the  most  important.  Soon  after  en 
tering  Louisiana,  its  bed  was  formerly  choked  up  by  an  immense  accumulation 
of  fallen  timber,  called  The  Raft,  which  extended  over  a  distance  of  160  miles; 
but  a  large  part  of  it  has  been  removed  by  the  exertions  of  the  general  govern 
ment,  and  the  whole  mass  will  soon  be  cleared  away. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  La  Fourche,  the  Teche,  and  the  Vermillion, 
below  lat.  30°  127  north,  wherever  the  soil  is  elevated  above  the  annual  inunda 
tions,  sugar  can  be  produced  ;  and  the  lands  are  generally  devoted  to  this  crop. 
In  all  other  parts  of  the  State,  cotton  is  the  staple.  Rice  is  more  particularly 
confined  to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  where  irrigation  can  be  easily  performed, 
The  amount  of  sugar  has  gradually  increased  in  this  State,  from  1783  to  the  pre 
sent  time.  The  crop  of  sugar  is  now  about  100,000  hhds.  The  prairies  of  the 
western  parishes  afford  fine  pastures,  and  here  are  found  large  herds  of  cattle  and 
horses.  Rice,  corn,  tobacco  and  indigo  are  also  produced.  In  the  eastern  part 
of  the  State,  between  the  Mississippi  and  Pearl  rivers,  lumber  is  cut  for  exporta 
tion,  and  some  tar,  pitch,  and  turpentine  are  prepared. 

The  population  of  Louisiana  in  1810  was  76,556;  in  1820,  153,407;  in  1830 
518,575 ;  in  1840,  352,41 1 ;  of  whom  168,452  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  population, 
89,747  were  white  males ;  68,710  do.  females ;  1 1,526  coloured  males  ;  13,976  do. 
females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  79,289 ;  in  commerce,  8549 ;  in  manufactures 
and  trades,  7565;  in  navigating,  the  ocean,  1322;  do.  canals,  lakes,  and  rivers, 
662;  in  the  learned  professions,  1018. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  98,888  horses  and  mules;  381,248  neat 
cattle ;  98,072  sheep ;  323,220  swine.  Poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of  $283,559. 
There  were  produced,  60  bushels  of  wheat;  1812  of  rye;  5,952,912  of  Indian 
corn;  107,353  of  oats;  834,341  of  potatoes;  119,824  pounds  of  tobacco;  3,604,534 
of  rice;  152,555,368  of  cotton;  1 19,947,720  of  sugar ;  24,651  tons  of  hay  ;  49,283 
pounds  of  wool.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $153,069 ;  of  the 
orchard  at  $11,769;  of  lumber  at  $66,106.  Th*ere  were  made  2884  gallons  of 
wine,  and  2233  barrels  of  tar,  pitch  and  turpentine. 

The  exports  of  this  State  amounted,  in  1840,  to  $34,236,936;  but  these  be 
long  to  the  great  and  fertile  States  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  Its  imports 
amounted  to  $10,673,190. 


LOUISIANA.  69 


Home-made  or  family  manufactures  amounted  to  $65,190 ;  two  cotton  factories 
produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $18,900,  with  a  capital  of  $22,000;  six  fur 
naces  produced  1700  tons  of  cast-iron,  and  two  furnaces  produced  1366  tons  of 
bar-iron,  employing  a  capital  of  $357,000 ;  25  tanneries  employed  a  capital  of 
$132,025 ;  seven  other  manufactories  of  leather,  as  saddleries,  &c.,  produced 
articles  to  the  amount  of  $108,500,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $89,550;  5  sugar 
refineries  produced  to  the  amount  of  $770,000 ;  hardware  and  cutlery  was  pro 
duced  to  the  amount  of  $30,000  ;  mills  of  various  kinds  produced  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $706,785,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $1,870,795  ;  vessels  were  built 
to  the  amount  of  $80,500;  5  distilleries  produced  285,520  gallons  of  distilled 
spirits ;  and  one  brewery  2400  gallons  of  beer.  The  total  amount  of  capital  em 
ployed  in  manufactures  was  $6,430,699. 

Louisiana  College,  at  Jackson,  was  founded  in  1825  ;  Jefferson  College,  at 
Bringiers,  founded  in  1831 ;  St.  Charles  College,  at  Grand  Coteau,  is  under  the 
direction  of  the  Roman  Catholics;  Baton  Rouge  College,  at  Baton  Rouge,  was 
founded  in  1838 ;  Franklin  College,  at  Opelousas,  was  founded  in  1839.  In 
these  institutions  there  were,  in  1840,  437  students.  There  were  in  the  State  52 
academies,  with  1995  students ;  179  common  and  primary  schools,  with  3573 
scholars.  There  were  4861  white  persons,  over  20  years  of  age,  who  could 
neither  read  nor  write.  In  1835  the  legislature  granted  to  three  colleges  $363,775, 
to  be  paid  out  of  the  State  treasury ;  viz.,  $48,775  to  Jefferson  College,  to  defray 
the  expense  of  its  buildings,  and  $15,000  annually,  for  the  period  of  10  years;  to 
Louisiana  College,  $15,000  annually,  for  the  same  period,  to  pay  the  salaries  of 
their  professors,  and  to  lower  the  rates  of  tuition,  and  other  expenses ;  and  $15,000 
also  to  Franklin  College. 

The  State  was  originally  settled  by  Roman  Catholics  ;  and  they  are  still  the 
most  numerous  religious  denomination.  In  1835  they  had  27  ministers.  Metho 
dists,  Baptists,  Presbyterians,  and  Episcopalians,  exist  in  considerable  numbers 
and  are  increasing. 

Several  works  of  internal  improvement  have  been  undertaken.  Pontchartrain 
Rail-road  extends  from  New  Orleans,  4^  miles,  to  lake  Pontchartrain,  and  cost, 
originally,  $200,000,  and  with  its  improvements  $500,000.  West  Feliciana 
Railroad  extends  from  St.  Francisville,  on  the  Mississippi  river,  20  miles,  to 
Woodville,  Miss.  Orleans  street  Rail-road,  through  Orleans  street,  is  1^  miles 
long,  and  connects  New  Orleans  with  the  Bayou  St.  John's.  New  Orleans  and 
Carrolton  Rail-road  extends  from  New  Orleans,  6£  miles,  to  Carrolton,  passing 
through  Lafayette.  It  has  city  branches,  making  its  whole  length  11£  miles. 
Various  other  rail-roads  and  canals  have  been  projected,  and  some  work  has  been 
done  upon  them,  but  they  are  at  present  suspended. 

New  Orleans,  the  third  commercial  mart  in  the  Union,  and  the  capital  of  Lou 
isiana,  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  100  miles  from  the  sea  by  the 
course  of  the  river,  and  four  miles  from  Lake  Pontchartrain.  Steamboats  and 
small  vessels  come  up  to  the  landing  on  the  latter,  where  an  artificial  harbour  has 
been  formed,  and  whence  a  rail-road  and  two  canals  extend  to  the  rear  of  the  town. 
In  the  front  of  the  city,  on  the  river,  the  largest  merchant-ships  lie  close  up  to 
the  levee  or  bank,  so  that  no  wharves  are  necessary  to  enable  them  to  load  and 
discharge.  The  river  is  here  from  100  to  160  feet  deep,  and  a  half-mile  wide. 

New  Orleans  is  the  depot  of  the  whole  Mississippi  Valley,  and  must  increase 
in  importance  with  the  daily  growing  wealth  and  population  of  that  vast  region. 
Thousands  of  huge  arks  and  flat-boats  float  down  its  mighty  artery,  loaded  with 
the  produce  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia,  as  well  as  with  that  of 
the  more  western  States.  The  number  of  steamboat  arrivals  and  departures  is 
greater  here  than  in  any  other  city  in  the  United  States.  The  exports,  including 
the  foreign  and  coasting  trade,  are  notlessthan  $40,000,000  annually ;  but  its  im 
ports  are  vastly  less.  Much  of  the  western  country,  which  exports  its  produce  by 
the  way  of  New  Orleans,  imports  its  goods  from  New  York.  In  1842, 740,267  bales 
of  cotton  were  exported  to  foreign  ports  and  coastwise.  The  licensed  and  enrolled 
tonnage,  in  1840,  was  126,613  tons.  According  to  the  census  of  that  year,  the  capi 
tal  engaged  in  foreign  trade  amounted  to  $16,490,000 ;  and  in  the  retail  trade 


70 


UNITED  STATES. 


to  $11,018,225.  New  Orleans  depends,  generally,  for  manufactured  articles, 
upon  other  places  ;  in  1840,  the  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $1,774,200. 

The  city  stands  on  a  dead  level,  and  is  regularly  laid  out  with  the  streets  inter 
secting  each  other  at  right  angles,  as  the  surface  of  the  water  is  from  two  to  four 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  city,  at  high  water,  and  even  in  low  stages  of  water  is 
above  the  swamps  in  the  rear ;  a  levee,  or  embankment,  from  four  to  eight  feet 
high,  has  been  made  all  along  the  river,  to  prevent  inundations ;  a  breach  or  cre 
vasse  sometimes  occurs  in  this  dike,  but  it  is  rarely  permitted  to  do  much  damage 
before  it  is  closed.  Among  the  public  buildings  are  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Louis, 
a  massive  and  imposing  building  with  four  towers,  and  9  other  churches,  the 
State-House,  Custom-House,  Exchange,  United  States  Mint,  and  Land-Office ; 
16  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $40,000,000;  12  insurance  companies, 
with  a  capital  of  $3,600,000  ;  3  theatres,  some  of  which  are  splendid  structures  ; 
4  markets,  and  a  number  of  hotels,  two  of  which  are  very  splendid,  and  cost 
$600,000  each  ;  the  Ursuline  Convent ;  the  Charity  Hospital ;  Orphan's  Asy 
lum,  &c.  The  charitable  institutions  are  numerous,  and  well  conducted.  There 
are  two  colleges,  with  105  students;  10  academies,  440  students ;  25  schools 
with  975  scholars.  Regular  lines  of  packets  are  established  to  all  the  chief  At 
lantic  cities,  as  well  as  to  Galveston,  &c.  Population  in  1810,  17,242  ;  in  1820, 
27,176  ;  in  1830,  46,310.';  and  in  1840,  102,193. 

Donaldsonville,  for  some  time  the  capital,  is  one  of  the  healthiest  towns  in  the 
State,  with  about  1000  inhabitants,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lafourche  outlet.  Baton 
Rouge,  130  miles  by  the  river,  above  New  Orleans,  contains  a  military  post  and 
an  arsenal  of  the  United  States.  It  stands  on  the  first  highland  or  bluff  point 
passed  in  ascending  the  river.  The  population  in  1840,  was  2269.  St.  Francis- 
ville,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bayou  Sara,  is  a  neat,  busy,  and  thriving  village,  con 
sisting  chiefly  of  one  street. 

Alexandria,  on  Red  River,  100  miles  from  the  Mississippi  by  the  windings  of 
the  stream,  is  a  pleasant  little  village  in  the  centre  of  a  rich  cotton  region,  and 
ships  large  quantities  of  that  staple  for  New  Orleans.  Natchitoches,  80  miles 
above,  was  founded  in  1717.  It  was  formerly  the  centre  of  the  trade  with  the 
Mexican  interior  provinces,  receiving  bullion,  horses,  and  mules,  and  sending  off 
manufactured  goods,  tobacco,  and  spirits.  St.  Martinsville,  and  New  Iberia,  on 
the  Teche,  and  Opelousas  or  St.  Landre,  to  the  north,  are  small  villages  contain- 
"ng  from  300  to  500  inhabitants,  but  surrounded  by  a  fertile  and  well  cultivated 
country. 

WESTERN  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES. 

THIS  section  of  the  United  States  comprises  the  States  of  Ohio,  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and  Iowa,  the  orga 
nized  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  together  with  the  nominal  Territories  of  Missouri 
and  Oregon,  the  Western  or  Indian  Territory,  and  the  region  north  of  Iowa,  which 
has  not  as  yet  received  any  distinctive  name.  It  includes  the  whole  of  that  vast 
space  extending  from  the  western  base  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  from  the  Red  river  of  Louisiana  and  the  42d  degree  of  latitude  on 
the  south,  to  the  parallels  of  49°  and  54°  40'  on  the  north,  extending  from  east  to 
west  2300  miles,  and  from  north  to  south  1100  miles,  comprising  an  area  of 
",683,000  square  miles. 

The  Chipewayan  or  Rocky  Mountain  range  are  the  most  important  mountains 
in  this  region.  They  are  but  imperfectly  known  to  us,  and  present  a  very  rugged 
and  sterile  appearance,  and  oppose  generally  a  formidable  barrier  to  an  intercourse 
Between  the  countries  on  their  opposite  sides.  The  other  elevations  are  the  Ozark 
Mountains,  extending  from  Missouri  south-west  to  Mexico ;  the  Black  Hills, 
Detween  the  Missouri  and  Yellow-Stone  rivers ;  and  between  the  former  ri  yer  and 
ihe  St.  Peter's  river  a  low  ridge  intervenes,  known  as  the  Coteau  des  Y  airies ; 
farther  to  the  eastward,  and  immediately  south  of  Lake  Superior,  the  Porcupine 
Mountains  extend,  separating  the  rivers  of  Lake  Superior  from  those  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  and  Lake  Michigan. 


WESTERN  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES.  71 


The  immense  prairies  of  this  region  constitute  the  most  remarkable  feature  of 
the  country.  These  are  level  plains  stretching  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  totally 
destitute  of  trees,  and  covered  with  tall  grass  or  flowering  shrubs.  Some  have  an 
undulating  surface,  and  are  called  rolling  prairies  ;  these  are  the  most  extensive, 
and  are  the  favourite  resort  of  the  buffalo.  Here,  without  a  tree  or  a  stream  of 
water,  the  traveller  may  wander  for  days,  and  discover  nothing  but  a  grassy  ocean 
bounded  on  all  sides  by  the  horizon.  In  the  dry  season  the  Indians  set  fire  to  the 
grass ;  and  the  wide  conflagration  which  ensues,  often  surprises  the  bison,  deer, 
and  other  wild  animals,  who  are  unable  to  escape  from  the  flames,  and  are  burned 
to  death. 

Much  of  this  great  country,  especially  the  northern  and  western  parts,  remains 
to  be  explored.  Of  the  region  west  of  the  Mississippi,  hardly  anything  was 
known  before  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  when  the  government  of  the 
United  States  dispatched  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  on  an  expedition  of  disco 
very.  These  officers,  at  the  head  of  a  large  party,  well  equipped,  proceeded  up 
the  Missouri  in  boats  to  its  source,  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  returned  by  the  same  course.  The  southern  part  was  explored  by  an 
expedition  under  Lieut.  Pike ;  and  at  a  later  period,  Major  Long  and  other  travel 
lers  have  visited  different  parts  of  the  country. 

But  the  great  physical  features  of  this  region  are  its  giant  rivers,  with  their 
hundred  arms  spreading  for  thousands  of  miles  through  every  corner  of  the  terri 
tory,  and  bringing  its  most  remote  recesses,  in  the  very  heart  of  a  vast  continent, 
almost  into  contact  with  the  sea.  The  main  trunk  of  this  great  system  of  rivers 
has  been  already  described.  The  Ohio,  on  the  east,  and  the  Arkansas,  Red  river, 
and  Platte,  on  the  west,  are  the  greatest  of  the  subordinate  streams.  The  first, 
gathering  up  the  waters  of  one  of  the  most  fertile  regions  of  the  globe,  bears  upon 
its  gentle  current  the  products  of  a  highly  cultivated  country.  The  last  mentioned 
take  their  way  for  a  considerable  part  of  their  course  through  barren  tracts  of 
sand.  The  Arkansas,  however,  has  vast  tracts  of  productive  territory  for  many 
hundred  miles  in  the  lower  part  of  its  course.  The  Red  river  also  passes  through 
a  less  desert  region  than  the  Platte,  the  country  in  its  lower  part  being  highly 
fertile.  The  Alleghany  and  Monongahela,  rising  in  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia 
unite  at  Pittsburg,  and  take  the  name  of  Ohio.  From  Pittsburg  to  the  Missis 
sippi,  the  river  has  a  course  of  950  miles,  receiving  numerous  navigable  streams, 
from  the  two  great  inclined  planes  between  which  it  runs. 

The  great  rivers,  which  form  so  striking  a  natural  feature  of  this  region,  give 
to  the  mode  of  travelling  and  transportation  in  general,  a  peculiar  cast,  and  have 
created  a  peculiar  class  of  men,  called  boatmen.  Craft  of  all  descriptions  are 
found  on  these  waters.  There  are  the  rude,  shapeless  masses,  that  denote  the 
infancy  of  navigation,  and  the  powerful  and  richly  addrned  steam-boat  which 
makes  its  perfection;  together  with  all  the  intermediate  forms  between  these 
extremes.  Since  the  use  of  steam-boats,  numbers  of  the  other  craft  have  disap 
peared,  and  the  number  of  river  boatmen  has  been  diminished  by  many  thousands 
The  first  steam-boat  on  these  waters  was  built  at  Pittsburg,  in  1811 ;  since  that 
time,  about  800  have  been  built  at  different  places,  some  of  which  are  from  400 
to  500  tons  burthen,  but  the  greater  number  are  from  90  to  150,  200,  and  300 
tons  ;  there  are  at  present  not  far  from  400  steam-boats  on  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries,  making  an  aggregate  of  about  90,000  tons. 

Lead,  iron,  coal,  salt,  and  lime  abound  in  the  western  States;  and  probably  no 
region  "m  the  world  exhibits  such  a  combination  of  mineral  wealth  and  fertility  of 
soil,  united  with  such  rare  facilities  of  transportation.  Tobacco,  Indian  corn 
hemp,  cotton,  salted  provisions,  flour,  whiskey,  hides  and  furs,  coarse  bagging 
and  lead,  are  the  most  important  articles  of  export ;  and  all  sorts  of  manufactured 
goods  and  colonial  produce  are  imported. 

The  character  of  the  western  States  is  mixed,  but  the  predominant  traits  are 
those  of  Virginia,  and  of  New  England.  Kentucky  was  settled  from  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina  ;  while  Ohio  is  a  scion  of  New  England.  These  two  States  have 
in  turn  sent  their  population  farther  west.  But  there  is  much  sectional  character, 
much  of  the  openness  and  boldness  of  the  men  and  their  descendants,  who  con 
tested  every  inch  of  territory  with  savages,  whose  houses  were  garrisons,  and 

"""""'IS*  2B 


72  UNITED  STATES. 


who  fought  at  the  threshold  for  their  hearths  and  altars.  The  population  of  the 
western  States  and  Territories,  in  1840,  was  4,458,154 ;  of  whom  443,856  were 
slaves.  The  inhabitants  of  tnis  section  are  rapidly  increasing  in  number,  and 
are  probably  not  less  than  5,000,000. 

The  negroes  constitute  about  a  tenth  part  of  the  population.  They  are  held  as 
slaves  in  all  the  States  but  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan  and  Iowa.  A  few 
Indians  yet  remain  within  the  limits  of  the  western  States. 


STATE   OF  OHIO. 

THIS  enterprising  and  populous  State  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lake  Erie 
and  the  State  of  Michigan ;  east  by  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia ;  south  by  the 
Ohio  river,  which  separates  it  from  Western  Virginia  and  Kentucky ;  and  west 
by  Indiana.  Its  length  is  210  miles,  and  mean  breadth  200,  containing  about 
40,000  square  miles.  The  Ohio  river  forms  the  boundary  of  this  State,  on  the 
south-east  and  south,  for  near  500  miles. 

The  rivers  which  flow  into  Lake  Erie  on  the  north,  are  Maumee,  Sandusky. 
Huron,  Vermillion,  Black,  Cuyahoga,  Grand,  and  Ashtabula;  those  on  the  south 
flowing  into  the  Ohio,  are  the  Muskingum,  Hockhocking,  Little  and  Great  Mi 
ami.  The  Au-Glaize  and  St.  Mary's,  in  the  western  part  of  the  State,  are  branches 
of  the  Maumee. 

The  interior  and  northern  parts  of  the  country,  bordering  on  Lake  Erie,  are 
generally  level,  and  in  some  places  marshy.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  eastern  and 
south-eastern  part  is  hilly  and  broken.  The  hills  are  numerous,  but  they  seldom 
rise  to  any  considerable  height.  Immediately  upon  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  and 
several  of  its  tributaries,  are  numerous  tracts  of  interval  or  meadow  land,  of  great 
fertility.  In  the  interior,  on  both  sides  of  the  Scioto,  and  on  the  Great  and  Little 
Miami,  are  perhaps  the  most  extensive  bodies  of  level  and  rich  land  in  the  State. 
In  many  parts  there  are  large  prairies,  particularly  on  the  head  waters  of  the 
Muskingum  and  Scioto,  and  between  the  Scioto  and  the  two  Miamis.  Some  of 
these  prairies  are  low  and  marshy ;  other  prairies  are  elevated,  and  are  frequently 
called  barrens;  not  always  on  account  of  their  sterility,  for  they  are  often  fertile. 
The  most  elevated  tracts  of  country  between  the  rivers,  are  the  wettest  and  most 
marshy  in  the  State;  and  the  driest  land  is  that  which  borders  on  the  various 
streams  of  water. 

Ohio  produces  abundantly  everything  which  grows  in  the  middle  States.  Flour 
is  exported  in  vast  quantities  by  the  Ohio  and  Lake  Erie  to  southern  and  eastern 
markets.  Many  steam-mills  have  been  erected,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Ohio  river,  for  the  manufacturing  of  that  article.  Mills  for  the  same  purpose, 
propelled  by  water,  are  to  be  found  in  every  part  of  the  State.  Rye,  oats,  buck 
wheat,  &c.,  are  produced  abundantly ;  and  tobacco  is  raised  to  the  amount  of 
50,000  hogsheads  annually.  Horses,  cattle,  and  hogs  are  here  raised  in  great 
numbers,  and  driven  to  an  eastern  market ;  and  thousands  of  barrels  of  beef  and 
pork  are  boated  from  air  the  towns  on  the  navigable  streams,  for  the  southern 
part  of  the  valley,  or  to  New  York. 

Coal  is  found  in  great  qaantitiesuin  the  eastern  parts.  Iron  ore  has  been  disco 
vered,  arid  wrought  pretty  extensively  in  several  places.  Salt-springs  are  found 
on  some  of  the  eastern  waters  of  Muskingum,  and  on  Salt  creek,  28-miles  south 
east  of  ChiMieothe,  where  there  are  considerable  salt-works. 

The  manufactures  of  the  State  are  rapidly  increasing  in  importance.  The  local 
position  of  Ohio  gives  it  great  facilities  for  trade ;  the  Ohio  river  affords  direct 
communication  with  all  the  country  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  while  by 
means  of  Lake  Erie,  on  the  north,  it  communicates  with  Canada  and  New  York. 
The  northern  and  eastern  counties  export  great  quantities  of  agricultural  produce 
to  Montreal  and  New  York,  and  since  the  construction  of  the  Ohio  and  Pennsyl 
vania  canals,  many  of  the  productions  of  the  southern  and  western  counties  also 
find  their  way  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia ;  an  active  export  trade  is  also 
carried  on  down  the  river,  by  way  of  New  Orleans. 


OHIO.  73 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  population  of  Ohio  has  never  been  paralleled ;  in  52 
years  from  the  time  when  it  received  its  first  white  settlers,  the  number  of  its  in 
habitants  was  a  million  and  a  half,  and  is  now  (1845)  estimated  at  1,800,000. 
Its  fertile  and  unoccupied  lands  attracted  immigrants  not  only  from  the  other 
States,  chiefly  the  Eastern  and  Middle,  but  large  bodies  of  Swiss  and  Germans, 
and  great  numbers  of  British  emigrants,  have  settled  themselves  in  its  smiling 
valleys  and  rich  plains. 

The  population  in  1790  was  3000;  in  1800,  45,365;  in  1810,  230,760*;  in 
1820,  581,434;  in  1830,937,637;  in  1840,  1,519,467 ;  being  the  third  in  popu 
lation  in  the  United  States.  Of  these,  775,360  were  white  males ;  726,762  white 
females ;  8740  coloured  males ;  8602  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agricul 
ture,  272,579 ;  in  commerce,  9201 ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  66,265 ;  in  navi 
gating  the  ocean,  212;  do.  rivers,  canals,  and  lakes,  3323;  in  mining,  704 ;  in 
the  learned  professions,  5663. 

There  were  in  this  State  in  1840,  430,527  horses  and  mules;  1,217,874  neat 
cattle ;  2,028,401  sheep  ;  2,099,746  swine.  Poultry  was  produced  to  the  value 
of  $551,193.  There  were  produced  16,571,661  bushels  of  wheat;  814,205  of 
rye;  33,668,144  of  Indian  corn;  212,440  of  barley;  633,139  of  buckwheat; 
14,393,103  of  oats;  5,805,021  of  potatoes;  3,685,315  pounds  of  wool ;  5,942,275 
of  tobacco;  6,363,386  of  sugar;  62,195  of  hops;  38,950  of  wax;  4317  of  silk 
cocoons ;  1,022,037  tons  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at 
$1,848,869;  of  the  orchard,  at  $475,271 ;  of  lumber,  at  $262,821.  There  were 
made  11,524  gallons  of  wine;  6809  tons  of  pot  and  pearl  ashes. 

The  exports  of  the  State,  in  1841,  were  $793,114;  and  the  imports  were 
$11,318.  This  includes  but  a  small  portion  of  its  trade,  having  relation  only  to 
its  foreign  commerce. 

Home-made  or  family  goods  were  manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $1,853,937  ; 
130  woollen  manufactories  and  206  fulling-mills  produced  articles  to  the  value  of 
$685,757,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $537,985 ;  8  cotton  manufactories  produced 
articles  to  the  amount  of  $139,378,  with  a  capital  of  $113,500 ;  72  furnaces  manu 
factured  35,236  tons  of  cast-iron,  and  19  forges  produced  7466  tons  of  bar-iron, 
and  employed  a  capital  of  $1,161,900;  434  persons  produced  3,513,409  bushels 
of  bituminous  coal,  with  a  capital  of  $45,525 ;  14  paper-mills  produced  articles 
to  the  amount  of  $270,202,  with  a  capital  of  $208,200  ;  31  persons  manufactured 
hemp  or  flax,  producing  to  the  amount  of  $11,737 ;  hats  and  caps  were  manu 
factured  to  the  amount  of  $728,513 ;  812  tanneries  employed  a  capital  of  $957,383  ; 
1160  other  manufactories  of  leather,  as  saddleries,  &c.,  produced  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $1,986,146,  with  a  capital  of  $917,245  ;  187  persons  manufactured 
tobacco  to  the  amount  of  $212,818,  with  a  capital  of  $68,810;  289  persons  pro 
duced  hardware  and  cutlery  to  the  amount  of  $393,300 ;  390  distilleries  produced 
6,329,467  gallons  of  distilled  spirits,  and  59  breweries  produced  1,422,584  gallons 
of  beer,  the  whole  employing  a  capital  of  $893,119;  carriages  and  wagons  were 
manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $701,228,  and  employed  a  capital  of  $290,540; 
536  flouring-mills  produced  1,311,954  barrels  of  flour,  and,  with  other  mills,  pro 
duced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $8,868,213,  employing  a  capital  of  $4,931,024 ; 
vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $522,855.  The  total  amount  of  capital  em 
ployed  in  manufactures  was  $16,905,257. 

The  University  of  Ohio,  at  Athens,  was  founded  in  1821 ;  the  Miami  Univer 
sity,  at  Oxford,  in  1809.  These  institutions  have  been  publicly  endowed  with 
large  grants  of  land.  Franklin  College,  at  New  Athens,  was  founded  in  1825  ; 
the  Western  Reserve  College,  at  Hudson,  in  1826  ;  Kenyon  College,  at  Gam 
bia  (Episcopal),  in  1826 ;  Granville  College,  at  Granville  (Baptist),  in  1832 ; 
Marietta  College,  at  Marietta,  in  1832 ;  the  Oberlin  Collegiate  Institute,  at  Ober- 
lin,  in  1834;  Cincinnati  College,  at  Cincinnati,  in  1819  ;  as  was  also  Wood 
ward  College,  at  the  same  place.  Willoughby  College,  at  Willoughby,  is  a 
medical  institution,  it  was  founded  in  1834 ;  Lane  Theological  Seminary,  at 
Cincinnati,  in  1829.  There  are  theological  departments  in  Kenyon,  Western 
Reserve,  and  Granville  colleges,  and  in  the  Oberlin  Institute  ;  a  Lutheran  theolo 
gical  school  at  Columbus,  and  two  medical  and  one  law  school  at  Cincinnati. 
At  all  these  institutions  there  were,  in  1840,  1717  students.  There  were  in  the 

"  •---•;----'-  -•  -- -- -         •-  35 


74  UNITED  STATES. 

State,  73  academies,  with  4310  students  ;  and  5186  common  and  primary  schools, 
with  218,609  scholars.  There  were  in  the  State  35,394  white  persons,  over  20 
years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

In  1836  the  Presbyterians  had  247  ministers ;  the  Methodists  had  200  minis 
ters  ;  the  Baptists  had  170  ministers ;  the  Lutherans  had  47  ministers  ;  the  Epis 
copalians  had  one  bishop  and  25  ministers  ;  the  German  Reformed  had  26  minis 
ters  ;  and  there  were  besides,  a  considerable  number  of  Friends,  Roman  Catho 
lics,  and  a  few  others. 

This  State  has  some  important  works  of  internal  improvement.  The  Ohio 
Canal  extends  from  Cleveland  on  Lake  Erie,  307  miles,  to  Portsmouth  on  the 
Ohio.  It  has  the  following  navigable  branches ;  14  miles  to  Zanesville  ;  10 
miles  to  Columbus  ;  9  miles  to  Lancaster;  50  miles  to  Athens  ;  the  Walholding 
branch  of  23  miles;  Eastport  branch  of  4  miles,  and  one  of  2  miles,  to  Dresden. 
This  important  work  was  begun  in  1825,  and  finished  in  1832.  The  Miami 
Canal  extends  from  Cincinnati,  178  miles,  to  Defiance,  where  it  meets  the  Wa- 
bash  and  Erie  Canal ;  thus  completing  a  second  line  of  canal  from  Lake  Erie  to 
Ohio  river.  The  whole  distance  from  Lake  Erie  is  265  miles.  The  Mahoning 
Canal  extends  from  the  Ohio  Canal,  88  miles,  eight  of  which  are  in  Pennsylva 
nia,  to  Beaver  river.  The  Sandy  and  Beaver  Canal  extends  from  the  Ohio 
Canal,  at  Bolivar,  76  miles,  to  Ohio  river,  at  the  mouth  of  Little  Beaver  creek, 
and  is  but  partially  completed.  The  Milan  Canal  extends  from  Huron,  3  miles, 
to  Milan,  to  which  steamboats  now  ascend.  The  ^lad  River  and  Sandusky 
City  Rail-road  extends  from  Tiffin,  36  miles,  to  Sandusky  city,  and  is  designed 
to  be  continued  to  Cincinnati ;  but  is  finished  only  28  miles  from  Cincinnati. 
Several  other  railroads  have  been  projected. 

Cincinnati,  the  largest  city  in  the  Western  States,  hence  often  called  the 
"Queen  of  the  West,"  is  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  Licking  river.  The  streets  are  drawn  with  great  regularity,  in  lines 
parallel  and  at  right  angles  to  the  Ohio.  Its  growth  has  been  uncommonly  rapid  ; 
it  was  founded  in  1789,  and  had,  in  the  year  1800,  750  inhabitants;  in  1820, 
9642  ;  in  1830,  24,831 ;  and,  in  1840,  46,338;  including  Fulton,  Covington  and 
Newport,  which  are  properly  suburbs  of  Cincinnati,  the  population  amounted  to 
60,000.  One-third  of  the  adult  population  is  computed  to  be  German.  There 
are  in  Cincinnati  43  churcrres ;  7  banks  ;  4  market-houses  ;  a  theatre ;  museum  ; 
3  colleges;  a  Mechanics'  Institute;  Academy  of  natural  sciences;  2  libraries, 
and  3  Orphan  Asylums.  The  city  is  supplied  with  water  that  is  raised  from  the 
river,  by  steam-power,  into  reservoirs  that  are  elevated  150  feet  above  low  water 
mark.  Cincinnati  is  the  greatest  pork  market  in  the  Union,  160,000  hogs,  valued 
at  $3,172,000,  have  been  slaughtered  here  in  a  year.  The  capital  employed  in 
the  foreign  commercial  and  commission  business  amounted,  in  1840,  to  $5,200,000 ; 
by  1035  retail  stores,  $12,877,000;  the  manufactures  employ  10,647  persons  ;  a 
capital  of  $14,541,842,  and  produce  articles  to  the  amount  of  $17,432,670;  this 
also  includes  some  of  the  manufactures  of  Fulton,  Covington  and  Newport. 

Columbus,  the  capital  of  the  State,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  Scioto,  in  a 
rich  and  beautiful  district,  at  the  intersection  of  the  river  by  the  National  Road, 
and  a  branch  of  the  Ohio  Canal.  It  is  built  on  a  regular  plan,  with  a  square 
in  the  centre  of  the  town,  round  which  stand  some  of  the  principal  public  build 
ings.  Here  are  the  State-House,  a  Lunatic  Asylum,  an  Asylum  for  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb,  an  Institute  for  the  Blind,  a  Penitentiary,  conducted  on  the  Auburn 
plan,  Court-House,  seven  churches,  a  bank,  &c.  Population  in  1840,  6048. 

Chillicothe  stands  between  Paint  Creek  and  the  Scioto,  and  the  streets,  ex 
tending  across  the  neck  from  river  to  river,  are  intersected  at  right  angles  by 
others  running  parallel  to  the  Scioto.  Population,  in  1840,  3977.  The  manu 
factures  of  the  place  are  pretty  extensive,  and  are  rapidly  increasing.  Ports 
mouth,  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Ohio  Canal,  derives  importance  from  its  situa 
tion  ;  its  trade  is  considerable,  and  there  are  here  several  iron-founderies,  nail- 
factories,  saw  and  grist-mills,  &c.  Population,  in  1840,  1500. 

Zanesville  is  situated  at  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation  on  the  Muskingum,by 
which  and  the  Ohio  Canal  it  has  a  water  communication  with  New  Orleans  and 
New  York.  The  falls  in  the  river  have  made  Zanesville  the  seat  of  numerous 


OHIO.  75 

mills  and  manufacturing  establishments,  including  flour-mills,  saw-mills,  iron- 
founderies,  paper,  cotton,  and  oil-mills,  glass-works,  &c.  Population,  in  1840, 
including  the  village  of  Putnam,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  7000.  Two 
bridges  cross  the  river  here,  and  the  town  contains  9  churches,  an  athenaeum,  two 
academies,  &c.  Marietta,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum,  is  the  oldest  town  in 
the  State ;  it  is  pleasantly  situated  partly  on  a  lower  and  partly  on  an  upper 
plain,  with  wide  streets,  shaded  with  trees,  green  squares,  and  neat  buildings. 
There  are  numerous  mounds  and  embankments  in  and  around  the  town.  Ship 
building  was  formerly  carried  on  here,  and  many  steamboats  are  still  built ;  seve 
ral  saw-mills,  an  iron-foundery,  tanneries,  &c.,  also  furnish  occupation  to  the 
inhabitants,  1814  in  number.  Steubenville,  on  the  Ohio,  in  the  midst  of  a  rich 
and  populous  district,  contains  a  number  of  woollen  and  cotton  manufactories, 
iron  and  brass  founderies,  steam-engine  and  machine  factories,  copperas  works, 
several  tanneries,  and  saw  and  flour-mills,  cotton  and  woollen  factories,  with  a 
population  of  5203  souls.  Cleveland,  the  most  important  lake-port  of  Ohio, 
stands  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cuyahoga  river  and  of  the  Ohio  Canal.  Its  harbour 
has  been  secured  by  artificial  piers,  and  is  commodious  and  easy  of  access. 
Population,  in  1840,  6071.  Brooklyn,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  contained 
1409  inhabitants.  In  1842,  at  Cleveland,  there  were  2468  steamboats  and  other 
arrivals,  and  2462  departures.  Exports,  $5,851,898.  In  the  same  year  there 
were  80  sail  of  vessels  belonging  to  this  port,  of  which  5  were  steam-boats. 

Huron,  a  thriving  town  further  west,  is  the  depot  of  a  rich  and  flourishing 
district;  Norwalk,  in  its  rear,  contains  some  manufacturing  establishments,  and 
1800  inhabitants.  Sandusky  city  is  situated  on  a  fine  bay,  with  a  good  harbour, 
and  is  a  busy  and  growing  place.  Perrysburg,  at  the  head  of  steamboat  naviga 
tion  on  the  Maumee,  is  situated  upon  a  high  bank  below  the  falls  of  the  river ; 
its  situation  combines  great  advantages  both  for  navigation  and  manufactures. 
Population  of  each,  2000.  Toledo,  formerly  Fort  Lawrence,  is  a  flourishing  town 
further  down  the  river,  with  1222  inhabitants. 

Dayton,  on  the  Miami,  at  the  junction  of  the  Mad  river,  which  furnishes  a 
great  number  of  mill-seats,  is  a  rapidly  growing  town,  in  a  highly  productive 
region.  It  carries  on  an  active  trade  by  the  Miami  Canal,  and  it  contains  numerous 
saw  and  grist-mills,  several  woollen  and  cotton  factories,  an  oil-mill,  and  other 
manufactories.  Population,  in  1840,  6067. 


COMMONWEALTH    OF  KENTUCKY. 

KENTUCKY  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Ohio  river,  which  separates  it  from 
the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois  ;  east  by  Virginia,  south  by  Tennessee, 
and  west  by  the  Mississippi,  which  separates  it  from  the  State  of  Missouri ;  the 
greatest  length  is  about  400  miles,  breadth  170,  area  40,500  square  miles. 

The  principal  rivers  of  Kentucky  are  the  Ohio,  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Cum 
berland,  Kentucky,  Green,  Licking,  Big  Sandy,  Salt,  and  Rolling. 

The  Cumberland  Mountains  form  the  south-east  boundary  of  the  State.  The 
eastern  counties,  bordering  on  Virginia,  are  mountainous  and  rugged.  A  tract 
from  5  to  20  miles  wide,  along  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  is  hilly  and  broken  land, 
interspersed  with  many  fertile  valleys.  Between  this  strip,  Green  river,  and  the 
eastern  counties,  lies  what  has  been  called  the  garden  of  the  State.  This  is  the 
most  populous  part,  and  is  about  150  miles  long,  and  from  50  to  100  wide.  The 
surface  of  this  district  is  agreeably  undulating,  and  the  soil  black  and  friable, 
producing  black  walnut,  black  cherry,  honey  locust,  buckeye,  pawpaw,  sugar- 
tree,  mulberry,  elm,  ash,  cotton-wood,  and  white  thorn.  The  whole  State,  below 
the  mountains,  rests  on  an  immense  bed  of  limestone,  usually  about  eight  feet 
below  the  surface.  There  are  everywhere  apertures  in  this  limestone,  through 
which  the  waters  of  the  rivers  sink  into  the  earth.  The  large  rivers  of  Ken 
tucky,  for  this  reason,  are  more  diminished  during  the  dry  season,  than  those  of 
any  other  part  of  the  United  States,  and  the  small  streams  entirely  disappear. 
The  banks  of  the  rivers  are  natural  curiosities ;  the  rivers  having1  generally  worn 


76  UNITED  STATES. 


very  deep  channels  in  the  calcareous  rocks  over  which  they  flow.  The  precipices 
formed  by  Kentucky  river  are  in  many  places  awfully  sublime,  presenting  per 
pendicular  rocks  of  300  feet  of  solid  limestone,  surmounted  with  a  steep  and 
difficult  ascent,  four  times  as  high. 

The  principal  productions  of  Kentucky  are  corn,  hemp,  wheat,  and  tobacco.  Salt 
springs  are  numerous,  and  supply  not  only  this  State,  but  a  great  part  of  Ohio 
and  Tennessee,  with  this  mineral.  The  principal  manufactures  are  cloth,  spirits, 
cordage,  salt,  and  maple-sugar.  Hemp,  tobacco,  and  wheat,  are  the  principal 
exports.  These  are  carried  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans,  and 
foreign  goods  received  from  the  same  place  in  return.  Louisville,  on  the  Ohio, 
is  the  centre  of  this  trade. 

In  the  south-west  part  of  the  State,  between  the  Green  and  Cumberland  rivers, 
are  several  wonderful  caves.  The  Mammoth  Cave,  130  miles  from  Lexington, 
on  the  road  to  Nashville,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  caves  in  the  world  ;  il 
has  been  explored  to  a  great  distance,  and  is  with  good  reason  supposed  to  extend 
for  8  or  10  miles.  The  earth  at  the  bottom  is  strongly  impregnated  with  nitre, 
which  has  been  to  a  considerable  extent  manufactured  from  it. 

The  population,  in  1790  was  73,677  ;  in  1800,  220,859;  in  1810,  401,511 ;  in 
1820,  564,317;  in  1830,  688,844;  in  1840,  779,828;  of  whom  128,258  were 
slaves.  Of  the  free  population,  305,323  were  white  males ;  284,930  white  fe 
males  ;  3761  were  coloured  males ;  3556  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agricul 
ture,  197,738;  in  commerce,  3448;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  23.217;  in  navi 
gating  the  ocean,  44 ;  do.  canals,  rivers,  and  lakes,  968  ;  in  mining,  331 ;  in  the 
'earned  professions,  2487. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  395,853  horses  and  mules ;  787,098  neat 
cattle;  1,008,240  sheep;  2,310,533  swine;  .poultry  to  the  value  of  $536,439. 
There  were  produced,  4,803,152  bushels  of  wheat;  17,491  of  barley ;  39,847,120 
of  Indian  corn;  1,321,373  of  rye;  7,155,974  of  oats;  8169  of  buckwheat; 
1,055,085  of  potatoes;  1,786,847  pounds  of  wool;  38,445  of  wax;  53,436,909 
of  tobacco;  16,376  of  rice;  691,456  of  cotton ;  1,377,835  of  sugar ;  88,306  tons 
of  hay ;  9992  of  hemp  and  flax.  The  products  of  the  dairy  amounted  to  $931,363 ; 
of  the  orchard,  to  $434,935  ;  of  lumber,  to  $130,329.  There  were  2209  gallons 
of  wine  made. 

Among  the  mineral  productions,  iron-ore,  coal,  salt  and  lime  are  abundant. 
Salt  was  produced,  in  1840,  to  the  amount  of  219,695  bushels.  Home-made  or 
family  manufactures  amounted  to  $2,622,462.  The  other  manufactures,  consisting 
chiefly  of  cotton  and  woollen  goods,  iron,  tobacco,  cordage,  spirits,  salt,  &c., 
imounted  to  $5,945,689. 

Transylvania  University,  at  Lexington,  was  founded  in  1798,  and  is  a  flourishi 
ng  institution.  Centre  College,  at  Danville,  was  founded  in  1822 ;  St.  Joseph's 
College,  at  Bardstown,  was  founded  in  1819;  Augusta  College,  at  Augusta,  was 
bunded  in  1825;  Georgetown  College,  at  Georgetown,  was  founded  in  1829; 
Bacon  College,  at  Harrodsburg,  was  founded  in  1836 ;  St.  Mary's  College,  Ma 
rion  county,  was  founded  in  1837.  Transylvania  University  has  a  flourishing 
nedical  department,  and  there  is  a  medical  institution  at  Louisville.  In  the  forego" 
ng  institutions  there  were,  in  1840,  1419  students.  There  were  116  academies 
ind  grammar-schools,  with  4906  students;  952  common  and  primary  schools, 
with  24,641  scholars.  There  were  in  the  State  40,010  white  persons  over  20  years 
jf  age  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

The  Baptists,  the  most  numerous  religious  denomination,  had  in  1836,  500 
churches,  300  ministers,  and  35,000  communicants.  The  Methodists  had  100 
ravelling  preachers  and  31,400  communicants.  The  Presbyterians  had  120 
ihurches  and  about  10,000  communicants.  The  Episcopalians  had  one  bishop 
md  13  ministers.  The  Roman  Catholics  had  a  bishop  and  34  ministers.  There 
ivere  a  considerable  number  of  Cumberland  Presbyterians  and  Reformed  Baptists, 
;wo  societies  of  Shakers,  and  one  of  Unitarians. 

The  most  important  work  of  internal  improvement  is  the  Louisville  and  Port- 
and  canal,  2£  miles  long,  around  the  rapids  in  Ohio  river.  It  admits  steam- 
soats  of  the  largest  class,  is  50  feet  wide  at  the  surface,  is  excavated  10  feet  deep 
n  a  compact  limestone,  and  has  an  entire  lockage  of  22  feet.  The  navigation  of 


KENTUCKY.  77 


the  Kentucky,  Green  and  Licking  rivers  has  been  extensively  improved  by  dams 
and  locks.  A  rail-road  extends  from  Lexington  to  Frankfort.  It  is  designed  to 
be  continued  to  Louisville,  but  is  for  the  present  suspended.  Several  other  rail 
roads  have  been  projected. 

Lexington  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  State,  and  was  for  many  years  the  capital ; 
it  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  a  rich  tract  of  country,  about  20  miles  east 
of  Kentucky  river.  The  streets  are  spacious  and  regularly  laid  out,  and  the 
houses  and  public  buildings  are  neat  and  elegant.  This  city  is  more  distin 
guished  for  its  hospitable  and  polished  society,  and  as  an  agreeable  place  of  resi 
dence,  than  for  bustle  of  business.  The  public  buildings  comprise  the  Halls  of 
Transylvania  University,  the  State  Lunatic  Asylum,  9  churches,  Court-House, 
Jail,  2  banks,  Orphan  Asylum,  Poor-House,  City  School-House,  &c.  There  are 
a  number  of  bagging  and  rope-factories,  iron-founderies,  &c.  Population,  7500. 

Frankfort,  the  capital  of  the  State,  stands  on  the  right  bank  of  Kentucky  river, 
on  an  alluvial  bottom,  above  which  the  river  hills  rise  abruptly  to  the  height  of 
more  than  200  feet.  Steam-boats  go  up  to  Frankfort,  60  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  and  keel-boats  much  higher.  The  State-House  is  a  handsome  edi 
fice,  built  of  white  marble,  taken  from  the  banks  of  the  river ;  and  there  is  here 
a  penitentiary  conducted  on  the  Auburn  plan. 

Louisville,  the  principal  city  in  Kentucky,  is  situated  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Ohio  river,  just  above  the  falls  of  that  river.  The  Louisville  and  Port 
land  canal  enables  large  steam-boats  to  reach  Louisville  at  all  stages  of  the 
water.  This  city  carries  on  an  extensive  and  valuable  trade,  many  thousand  flat- 
boats  arriving  here  yearly  from  all  parts  of  the  upper  Ohio,  and  steamboats  arriv 
ing  and  departing  daily.  The  population,  which  in  the  year  1800  amounted  to 
600,  was  in  1840,  21,210,  and  in  1843,  28,643.  The  public  buildings  are  25 
churches,  a  City  Hall,  Court-House,  City  and  County  Jail,  Marine  Hospital, 
Medical  Institute,  5  banks,  4  markets,  City  Work-House,  Hospital,  2  orphan 
asylums,  School  for  the  Blind,  &c.  Some  of  the  hotels  are  among  the  finest  in 
the  Union.  The  manufactures  of  Louisville  are  extensive,  and  include  founde- 
ries,  steam-bagging  factories,  rope-walks,  cotton  and  woollen  factories,  flouring- 
mills,  &c.  Portland  is  a  growing  village  at  the  lower  end  of  the  canal. 

Maysville  is  the  first  considerable  town  of  Kentucky  which  is  passed  in  de 
scending  the  river  Ohio.  It  is  the  depot  of  the  upper  part  of  the  State,  and  its 
trade  is  pretty  extensive.  Population  in  1840,  2,741.  Newport  and  Covington 
are  thriving  towns,  situated  on  the  opposite  banks  of  the  Licking  river,  and  oppo 
site  to  Cincinnati ;  they  are  the  seats  of  some  manufacturing  industry,  as  well 
as  of  an  active  trade.  The  streets  of  Covington  are  so  laid  out  that,  but  for  the 
ntervention  of  the  Ohio  river}  they  would  be  a  continuation  of  those  of  Cincinnati. 
Population,  2026.  Among  the  other  towns  in  Kentucky  are  Harrodsburg,  noted 
'or  its  mineral  springs,  Danville,  the  seat  of  Centre  College,  Bardstown  and 
3eorgetown,  the  seats  of  Roman  Catholic  colleges,  and  Princeton,  the  seat  of 
Cumberland  College. 

STATE   OF  TENNESSEE. 

TENNESSEE  is  bounded  north  by  Kentucky ;  east  by  North  Carolina ;  south  by 
GJeorgia,  Alabama,  and  Mississippi ;  and  west  by  Arkansas.  It  is  430  miles 
ong,  and  104  broad,  and  contains  40,000  square  miles. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Cumberland,  Clinch, 
Duck,  Holston,  French-Broad,  Nolichucky,  Hiwassee,  Tellico,  Reelfoot,  Obion, 
Forked  Deer,  Wolf,  and  Elk. 

Tennessee  is  washed  by  the  Mississippi  on  the  west,  and  the  rivers  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland  pass  through  it  in  very  serpentine  courses.  West  Tennessee, 
lying  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Tennessee  rivers,  is  a  level  or  slightly  un 
dulating  plain  :  east  of  this  section  is  Middle  Tennessee,  of  a  moderately  hilly 
surface.  The  eastern  part  of  the  State  adjoining  North  Carolina,  is  known  by 
the  name  of  East  Tennessee  :  it  abounds  in  mountains,  many  of  them  lofty,  and 
presenting  scenery  peculiarly  grand  and  picturesque.  Of  these  mountains  the 


78  UNITED  STATES. 


Cumberland,  or  great  Laurel  Ridge,  is  the  most  remarkable.  Stone,  Iron,  Bald, 
Smoky,  or  Unaka  mountains,  join  each  other,  and  form,  in  a  direction  nearly 
north-east  and  south-west,  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State. 

The  soil  in  a  country  so  uneven  must  be  very  various.  The  western  part  of 
the  State  has  a  black,  rich  soil  ;  in  the  middle  there  is  much  excellent  land  ;  in 
the  eastern,  part  of  the  mountains  are  barren,  but  there  are  many  fertile  valleys. 

The  climate  is  generally  healthful.  In  East  Tennessee,  the  heat  is  so  tem 
pered  by  the  mountain-air  on  one  side,  and  by  refreshing  breezes  from  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  on  the  other,  that  this  part  of  the  State  has  one  of  the  most  desirable 
climates  in  North  America.  The  middle  part  resembles  Kentucky  in  climate. 

The  great  business  of  Tennessee  is  agriculture.  It  is  the  largest  corn-growing 
State  in  the  Union ;  in  the  year  1840,  the  crop  amounted  to  almost  45  million 
bushels,  or  about  53  bushels  to  every  individual  in  the  State.  The  exports  are 
cotton,  corn,  tobacco,  flour,  &c.  The  principal  commerce  is  carried  on  through  the 
Tennessee  and  Cumberland  Rivers,  and  from  them  through  the  Ohio  and  Missis 
sippi  to  New  Orleans.  This  State  also  supplies  Kentucky,  Ohio,  &c.  with  cot 
ton  for  inland  manufactures ;  and  from  East  Tennessee  considerable  numbers  of 
cattle  are  sent  to  the  sea-ports  on  the  Atlantic. 

The  most  valuable  mineral  products  of  Tennessee  are  iron,  gold,  coal,  and  salt. 
Gold  is  found  in  the  south-eastern  section,  but  it  has  not  been  systematically 
worked.  Iron  occurs  throughout  the  State  east  of  the  Tennessee ;  there  is  a  num 
ber  of  furnaces  both  in  East  and  Middle  Tennessee,  which  produced,  in  1840, 
above  26,000  tons  of  metal.  Coal  is  found  in  the  Cumberland  Mountains  of 
excellent  quality.  Marble,  marl,  buhr-stone,  nitrous  earth,  and  other  useful  mine 
rals  are  met  with,  and  there  are  some  valuable  mineral  springs. 

The  population  of  Tennessee,  in  1790,  was  35,691 ;  in  1800,  105,602;  in  1810, 
261,727;  in  1820,  422,813;  in  1830,  681,904;  in  1840,  829,210;  of  whom 
183,059  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  population  325,434  were  white  males  ;  315,193 
do.  females;  2796  coloured  males  ;  2728  do.  females.  Employed  in  agriculture, 
227,739  ;  in  commerce,  2217 ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  17,815 ;  in  navigating 
the  ocean,  55  ;  do.  rivers  and  canals,  302 ;  in  the  learned  professions,  2042. 

There  were  in  the  State  in  1840,  341,409  horses  and  mules;  822,857  neat 
cattle;  741,593  sheep;  2,926,707  swine.  Poultry  was  valued  at  $606,969. 
There  were  produced  4,569,692  bushels  of  wheat;  304,320  of  rye;  44,986,188 
of  Indian  corn;  17,118  of  buckwheat,  7,035,678  of  oats;  190,370  of  potatoes; 
1,060,332  pounds  of  wool;  29,550,432  of  tobacco;  7977  of  rice;  27,701,277  of 
cotton;  258,073  of  sugar;  31,233  tons  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were 
valued  at  $472,141  ;  of  the  orchard  at  $367,105 ;  value  of  lumber  produced 
$217,606  ;  3366  barrels  of  tar,  pitch,  &c.,  were  made. 

Home-made  or  family  manufactures,  in  1840,  amounted  to  $2,886,661.  There 
were  26  woollen  factories  and  4  fulling-mills,  producing  articles  to  the  amount 
of  $14,290;  38  cotton  factories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $325,719;  34 
furnaces  produced  16,128  tons  of  cast-iron ;  and  99  forges  produced  9673  tons  of 
bar-iron ;  21  persons  produced  13,942  bushels  of  bituminous  coal ;  5  paper-mills 
produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $46,000,  and  other  manufactories  of  paper 
produced  to  the  amount  of  $14,000;  the  whole  employing  a  capital  of  $93,000 ; 
117  persons  produced  hats  and  caps  to  the  amount  of  $104,949;  454  tanneries 
employed  a  capital  of  $404,114;  374  other  manufactories  of  leather,  as  saddle 
ries,  &c.,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $359,050,  with  a  capital  of  $154,540 ; 
29  potteries  produced  to  the  amount  of  $51,600;  hardware  and  cutlery  was 
produced  to  the  amount  of  $57,170;  machinery  to  the  amount  of  $257,704; 
1426  distilleries  produced  1,109,107  gallons  of  distilled  spirits;  and  six  breweries 
produced  1835  gallons  of  beer ;  carriages  and  wagons  to  the  amount  of  $219,897  ; 
28  rope-walks  produced  cordage  to  the  amount  of  $132,630;  255  flouring-mills 
produced  67,881  barrels  of  flour;  and,  with  other  mills,  produced  articles  to  the 
amount  of  $1,020,664,  with  a  capital  of  $1,310,195.  The  total  amount  of  capi 
tal  employed  in  manufactures,  in  the  State,  was  $3,731,580. 

Greenville  College,  at  Greenville,  in  East  Tennessee,  was  founded  in  1794; 
Washington  College,  in  Washington  county,  was  founded  in  1794;  the  Univer- 


TENNESSEE.  79 


sity  of  Nashville,  the  principal  institution  in  the  State,  was  founded  under  Cum 
berland  College,  in  1806  ;  the  East  Tennessee  College,  at  Knoxville,  was  founded 
in  1807;  Jackson  College,  near  Columbia,  was  founded  in  1830;  the  southwest 
ern  Theological  Seminary,  at  Maysville,  was  founded  in  1821;  the  number  of 
students  in  these  institutions,  in  1840,  was  369.  There  were  in  the  State  152 
academies,  with  5539  students ;  and  983  common  and  primary  schools,  with 
25,099  scholars.  There  were  in  the  State  58,531  white  persons,  over  20  years 
of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

In  1836  the-  Methodists  had  127  travelling  preachers,  and  34,266  communi 
cants;  the  Baptists  had  413  churches,  219  ministers,  and  20,472  communicants; 
the  Presbyterians  had  120  churches,  90  ministers,  and  10,000  communicants ; 
the  Episcopalians  had  a  bishop  and  eight  ministers.  There  were  besides  many 
Cumberland  Presbyterians,  and  some  Lutherans,  Friends,  Christians,  and  Roman 
Catholics. 

Some  works  of  internal  improvement  have  been  commenced,  but  are  at  present 
suspended.  A  rail-road  from  Memphis,  on  the  Mississippi,  50  miles,  to  La 
Grange,  in  Lafayette  county,  is  in  progress.  Somerville  branch  will  extend  from 
the  main  road,  at  Moscow,  16  miles,  to  Somerville.  The  Hiwassee  Rail-road, 
from  Knoxville,  98£  miles,  to  the  Georgia  line,  is  intended  to  unite  with  the 
Western  and  Atlantic  Rail-road  of  Georgia. 

Nashville,  the  capital,  and  the  most  considerable  city  of  the  State,  is  situated 
on  the  south  bank  of  Cumberland  river.  The  site  is  elevated  and  uneven; 
the  town  is  well  built,  containing,  beside  some  elegant  dwelling-houses,  a  Court- 
House,  Market-House,  Jail,  Lunatic  Asylum,  State  Penitentiary,  3  banks,  10 
churches,  the  Halls  of  Nashville  University,  a  female  academy,  and  various 
other  schools.  The  city  is  supplied  with  water  from  the  Cumberland  river, 
which  is  raised  by  a  steam-engine  into  a  reservoir  that  is  elevated  66  feet  above 
low-water  mark ;  near  a  million  gallons  can  be  raised  every  24  hours.  Popula 
tion,  in  1840,  6900. 

Clarkesville,  below  Nashville,  is  a  thriving  little  town.  Franklin,  to  the  south 
of  Nashville,  is  a  busy  town  with  1500  inhabitants,  who  carry  on  some  branches 
of  mechanical  and  manufacturing  industry  pretty  extensively. 

Knoxville,  which  stands  on  the  right  bank  of  Holston  river,  was  for  some  time 
the  seat  of  government,  and  a  place  of  considerable  trade ;  its  commercial  im 
portance,  however,  has  of  late  diminished.  Population  1500.  It  contains  the 
Halls  of  East  Tennessee  College,  a  useful  and  flourishing  institution.  The  other 
towns  of  this  section,  Blountville,  Jonesboro,  Rogersville,  and  Maryville,  are 
little  villages  of  500  or  600  inhabitants  each. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  Winchester,  Fayetteville,  at  the  head  of 
navigation  on  the  Elk  river,  and  Pulaski,  are  thriving  little  towns  ;  the  last  men 
tioned  has  900  inhabitants,  and  the  two  others  about  700  each.  Columbia  on  the 
Duck  river,  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  towns  in  the  State,  and  has  about  1200 
inhabitants  ;  it  is  the  seat  of  Jackson  College.  Murfreesboro,  for  some  time  the 
capital  of  the  State,  is  pleasantly  situated  in  a  very  rich  and  highly  cultivated 
district,  and  it  has  a  population  of  1500.  Bolivar,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on 
the  Hatchee,  is  a  very  growing  and  busy  town ;  Randolph,  on  the  second  Chicka- 
saw  Bluff,  below  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Hatchee  river,  has  a  good  harbour  for 
steamboats  in  all  stages  of  the  water,  and  is  conveniently  placed  for  the  outlet  of 
a  productive  region.  Memphis  is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
river,  on  the  fourth  Chickasaw  Bluff,  where  old  Fort  Pickering  stood.  It  has 
one  of  the  best  sites  for  a  commercial  emporium  on  the  Mississippi  river.  The 
bluff  is  30  feet  above  the  highest  floods.  The  trade  of  this  place  is  already  equal 
to  that  of  any  town  between  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans.  Itcontains  4  churches  ; 
an  academy ;  53  stores,  and  5000  inhabitants.  A  United  States  navy-yard  is 
to  be  located  here,  and  it  is  already  commenced.  A  rail-road  to  La  Grange  is  in 
use ;  it  is  designed  to  form  a  part  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Rail-road. 


19  20 


80  UNITED  STATES. 


STATE   OF  INDIANA. 

INDIANA  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  State  of  Michigan  and  Lake  Michigan  ; 
east  by  Ohio ;  south  by  the  Ohio  river,  which  separates  it  from  Kentucky,  and 
west  by  Illinois,  from  which  it  is  separated  in  part  by  the  Wabash  river.  The 
mean  length  is  about  260,  and  mean  breadth  140  miles ;  area,  about  36,000  square 
miles. 

The  Ohio  river  flows  for  350  miles  along  the  southern  extremity  of  the  State. 
Next  to  the  Ohio  is  the  Wabash,  which  with  its  branches,  the  White,  Patoka, 
Tippecanoe,  Eel,  Salamanic  and  Mississinewa  rivers,  water  all  the  central  parts 
of  the  State.  In  the  north-west  is  the  Kankakee  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Illinois ; 
in  the  north  and  north-east  are  the  rivers  St.  Joseph  of  Michigan,  and  the  St.  Jo 
seph  of  Maumee;  the  former  flows  into  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  latter,  uniting 
with  the  St.  Mary  at  Fort  Wayne,  forms  the  Maumee  river,  which  flows  into  Lake 
Erie.  In  the  south-east  is  the  White  Water  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Miami.  In 
the  south  are  a  number  of  small  rivers  and  creeks  which  flow  into  the  Ohio,  none 
of  which  are  of  importance. 

There  are  no  mountains  in  Indiana  ;  the  country,  however,  is  more  hilly  than 
Illinois,  particularly  towards  Ohio  river.  A  range  of  low  hills,  called  the  Knobs, 
extends  from  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  to  the  Wabash,  in  a  south-west  direction,  which 
in  many  places  produce  a  broken  and  uneven  surface.  North  of  these  hills  lie  the 
Flat  Woods,  70  miles  wide.  Bordering  on  all  the  principal  streams,  except  the 
Ohio,  there  are  strips  of  bottom  and  prairie  land  ;  both  together,  from  three  to  six 
miles  in  width. 

For  a  wide  extent  on  the  north  front  of  the  State,  between  Wabash  river  and 
Lake  Michigan,  the  country  is  generally  an  extended  plain,  alternately  prairie  and 
timbered  land,  with  a  great  proportion  of  swampy  lands,  and  small  lakes  and 
ponds.  The  prairies  bordering  on  Wabash  river  are  particularly  rich,  having 
ordinarily  a  vegetable  soil  from  2  to  5  feet  deep.  Perhaps  no  part  of  the  western 
world  can  show  a  greater  extent  of  rich  land  in  one  body  than  that  portion  of  the 
White  river  country,  of  which  Indianapolis  is  the  centre.  The  natural  growth  of 
the  soil  consists  of  oak  of  several  kinds,  ash,  beech,  buckeye,  walnut,  cherry, 
maple,  elm,  sassafras,  linden,  honey-locust,  cotton-wood,  sycamore,  and  mulberry. 
The  principal  productions  are  wheat,  rye,  Indian  corn,  oats,  buckwheat,  barley, 
potatoes,  beef,  pork,  butter,  cheese,  &c. 

Iron  and  coal  have  been  found  in  the  State ;  and  there  are  some  salt-springs, 
and  epsom-salts  are  found  in  a  cave  near  Corydon  ;  but  the  mineral  productions 
have  no  great  interest. 

The  population,  in  1800,  was  5C41 ;  in  1810,  24,520 ;  in  1820,  147,178  ;  in 
1830,  341,582;  in  1840,  685,866.  Of  these  there  were  352,773  white  males; 
325,925  white  females ;  3731  coloured  males;  3434  coloured  females.  Employed 
in  agriculture,  148,806 ;  in  commerce,  3076 ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  20,590 ; 
in  mining,  233  ;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  89 ;  do.  canals,  lakes,  and*  rivers,  677 ; 
in  the  learned  professions,  2257. 

In  1840  there  were  in  this  State  246,036  horses  and  mules ;  619,980  neat  cattle  ; 
675,982  sheep ;  1,623,608  swine ;  poultry  to  the  value  of  $357,594.  There  were 
produced,  4,049,375  bushels  of  wheat ;  129,621  of  rye;  28,155,887  of  Indian 
corn;  28,015  of  barley ;  5,981,605  of  oats;  1,525,794  of  potatoes;  1,237,919 
pounds  of  wool;  1,820,306  of  tobacco ;  3,727,795  of  sugar;  38,591  of  hops; 
30,647  of  wax ;  178,647  tons  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at 
$742,269;  of  the  orchard,  at  $40,055;  of  lumber,  at  $420,971;  of  furs  and 
skins,  at  $220,883.  There  were  made  10,265  gallons  of  wine. 

In  1840,  the  amount  of  capital  engaged  in  foreign  trade  was  $1,207,400;  in 
the  retail  trade,  $5,664,687. 

The  amount  of  home-made  or  family  manufactures  was  $1,289,802 ;  24  fulling- 
mills  and  37  woollen  manufactories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $58,867  ; 
12  cotton  factories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $135,400;  7  furnaces  pro 
duced  810  tons  of  cast-iron;  1  forge  produced  20  tons  of  bar-iron;  47  persons 
mined  242,040  bushels  of  bituminous  coal ;  paper  was  manufactured  to  the 


INDIANA.  81 


amount  of  $86,457 ;  tobacco  to  the  amount  of  $65,659 ;  hats  and  caps  to  the 
amount  of  $122,844;  shoes,  boots,  saddleries,  &c.,  to  the  amount  of  $730,001 ; 
machinery  to  the  amount  of  $123,808 ;  323  distilleries  produced  1,787,108  gallons 
of  distilled  spirits;  20  breweries  produced  188,392  gallons  of  beer;  carriages 
and  wagons  were  manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $163,135;  204  flouring-mills 
manufactured  224,624  barrels  of  flour,  and,  with  other  mills,  produced  articles  to 
the  amount  of  $2,329,134  ;  vessels  were  built  to  the  amount  of  $107,223.  The 
total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $4,132,043. 

Indiana  College,  at  Bloomington,  was  founded  in  1827;  South  Hanover  Col 
lege,  at  South  Hanover,  in  1829;  Wabash  College,  at  Crawfordsville,  in  1833; 
the  Indiana  Asbury  University,  in  1839.  In  these  institutions  there  were,  in 
1840,  322  students.  There  were  in  the  State  54  academies,  with  2946  students, 
and  1521  common  and  primary  schools,  with  48,189  scholars.  In  1840,  there 
were  38,100  white  persons  over  20  years  of  age  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

In  1836,  the  Baptists  had  334  churches  and  218  ministers;  the  Presbyterians 
had  109  churches  and  70  ministers;  the  Methodists  about  70  circuit  preachers; 
the  Lutherans,  in  1830,  had  30  congregations  and  8  ministers.  Besides  these 
there  are  many  Friends,  some  Episcopalians,  Roman  Catholics,  and  some  Presby 
terians,  Methodists  and  Baptists  of  different  descriptions,  not  included  in  the  above. 

The  principal  work  of  internal  improvement  undertaken  by  this  State  is  the 
Wabash  and  Erie  canal,  which  extends  from  Lafayette,  at  the  head  of  steam-boat 
navigation  on  the  Wabash,  187  miles,  to  the  navigable  waters  of  Lake  Erie  at 
Toledo,  on  Maumee  Bay.  The  Whitewater  Canal  extends  from  Lawrenceville, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  76  miles,  to  Cambridge  city,  on  the  National  Road. 
It  is  also  to  be  extended  by  a  branch  to  Cincinnati,  which  is  in  progress.  The 
Madison  and  Indianapolis  rail-road,  from  Madison  on  the  Ohio  river,  95  miles  to 
Indianapolis,  is  in  progress  and  nearly  completed.  Other  works  of  internal  im 
provement  have  been  projected  and  begun,  but  are  at  present  suspended. 

Indianapolis,  the  capital  of  the  State,  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  west  fork  of 
White  river ;  it  is  laid  out  with  much  regularity,  and  with  wide,  spacious  streets. 
The  public  buildings  are  the  State-House,  Governor's  House,  a  bank,  11  churches, 
10  schools,  4  libraries,  1  county  seminary,  with  philosophical  and  chemical  ap 
paratus,  4  printing-offices,  48  stores,  10  mills  of  various  kinds,  and  various  other 
manufacturing  establishments.  Population,  in  1843,  about  3500,  The  national 
road  passes  through  the  town. 

New  Albany  is  the  largest  town  in  the  State ;  it  is  on  the  Ohio  river,  a  few 
miles  below  the  falls.  Population,  4226.  The  principal  buildings  are  a  Court- 
House,  Jail,  9  churches,  bank,  insurance  office,  Lyceum,  male  and  female  semi 
nary,  theological  college,  &c. ;  there  are  also  a  number  of  manufactories  of  va 
rious  kinds.  Jeffersonville,  which  stands  opposite  to  Louisville,  is  a  thriving 
town,  with  800  inhabitants.  It  contains  the  State  prison.  Madison,  on  the  Ohio 
river,  some  distance  farther  up,  is  a  flourishing  town  with  3798  inhabitants ;  it 
has  6  churches,  a  Court-House,  Jail,  Bank,  Savings  Bank,  50  stores,  with  several 
manufactories,  mills,  &c.  Vevay  was  founded  by  a  Swiss  colony,  with  1200 
inhabitants.  The  grape  has  been  successfully  cultivated  here,  and  the  town  is 
surrounded  by  vineyards.  Lawrenceburg,  on  the  Ohio,  just  below  the  mouth  of 
White  Water  river,  carries  on  an  extensive  trade,  but  its  site  being  low,  it  is 
sometimes  subject  to  inundation  during  very  high  stages  of  the  water. 

New  Harmony,  on  the  Wabash  river,  was  founded  by  the  German  sect  called 
Harmonites,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Rapp.  In  1824  it  was  bought  by  Mr. 
Owen,  of  Lanark,  who  attempted  to  put  in  operation  here  his  new  Social  System  : 
the  scheme  failed,  and  his  followers  were  dispersed,  but  the  village  is  now  a 
flourishing  place  in  other  hands.  Vincennes,  higher  up  the  river,  is  the  oldest 
town  in  the  State ;  it  was  founded  by  the  French,  in  1730.  It  contains  2000 
inhabitants,  about  a  fifth  of  whom  are  French.  Terre  Haute,  Lafayette,  and 
Logansport,  are  small  but  flourishing  towns  on  the  Wabash  river.  Richmond, 
ton  the  National  Road,  near  the  Ohio  State  line,  is  also  a  populous  little  town. 
The  city  of  Michigan,  founded  in  1835,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan,  is  the 
only  harbour  on  the  lake  in  the  State.  It  is  well  situated  for  trade,  and  has 
about  700  inhabitants. 


82  UNITED  STATES. 


STATE   OF   ILLINOIS. 

THIS  fertile  and  improving  State  is  bounded  north  by  Wisconsin  Territory,  east 
by  Indiana,  south  by  Kentucky,  and  west  by  the  States  of  Missouri  and  Iowa. 
Its  medium  length  is  about  350  miles,  and  medium  breadth  170;  the  area  being 
59,500  square  miles. 

The  Mississippi,  Ohio,  and  Wabash,  form  about  two-thirds  of  the  whole 
boundary  of  the  State.  The  other  most  considerable  rivers  are  the  Illinois,  Kas- 
kaskia,  Muddy,  Little  Wabash,  Rock,  Sangamon,  Embarras,  Fox,  Des  Plaines,  &c. 
-  The  southern  and  middle  parts  of  the  State  are  for  the  most  part  level.  The 
north-western  section  is  a  hilly,  broken  country,  though  there  are  no  high  hills. 
The  climate  resembles  that  of  Indiana  and  Ohio.  The  soil  is  generally  very 
fertile,  and  yields  abundant  harvests. 

Corn  is  the  staple  agricultural  production  of  the  State.  Wheat  is  also  raised 
in  large  quantities,  and  yields  flour  of  superior  quality ;  rye  is  much  used  for  dis 
tillation.  Hemp,  tobacco,  and  cotton,  are  cultivated ;  the  latter  is  mostly  con 
sumed  in  household  manufactures.  Large  herds  of  cattle  are  kept,  and  great 
numbers  are  driven  out  of  the  State,  or  sent  down  the  river  in  flat-boats.  Thou 
sands  of  hogs  are  raised,  and  pork  is  largely  exported. 

Coal,  salt,  and  lime,  iron,  lead,  and  copper,  are  among  the  mineral  productions 
of  Illinois.  Coal  is  abundant  in  many  quarters,  and  is  worked  to  some  extent. 
Lead  is  found  in  the  north-western  corner  of  the  State  in  exhaustless  quantities. 
The  Indians  and  French  had  been  long  accustomed  to  procure  the  ore,  but  it  was 
not  until  1822  that  the  process  of  separating  the  metal  was  begun.  Since  that 
time  the  business  has  been  actively  pursued,  and  as  much  as  6000  tons  of  lead 
have  been  smelted  in  one  year.  Some  salt  is  made  near  Shawneetown ;  near 
Danville,  on  the  Little  Vermillion;  and  near  Brownville,  on  Muddy  creek.  The 
salt  springs  are  owned  by  the  United  States,  and  leased  to  the  manufacturers. 

The  population  of  Illinois  has  increased  with  the  same  amazing  rapidity  as  that 
of  the  neighbouring  States.  The  constitution  provides  that  neither  slavery  nor 
involuntary  servitude  shall  hereafter  be  introduced  into  the  State,  otherwise  than 
for  the  punishment  of  crimes ;  and  as  negroes  coming  into  the  State  are  required 
to  give  bonds  with  security,  that  they  will  not  become  chargeable  as  paupers, 
there  are  few  blacks. 

The  population,  in  1810,  was  12,282;  in  1820,  55,211 ;  in  1830,  157,575;  in 
1840,  476,183;  of  whom  255,235  were  white  males;  217,019  do.  females;  1876 
coloured  males  ;  1722  do.  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  105,337;  in  com 
merce,  2506;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  13,185;  in  mining,  782 ;  in  navigating 
the  ocean,  63;  do.  lakes,  rivers,  and  canals,  310;  in  the  learned  professions, 
2021. 

There  were  in  the  State,  in  1840,  199,235  horses  and  mules;  626,274  neat 
cattle;  395,672  sheep ;  1,495,254  swine.  Poultry  valued  at  $309,204.  There 
were  produced,  3,335,393  bushels  of  wheat;  82,251  of  barley;  4,988,008  of  oats ; 
88,197  of  rye;  57,884  of  buckwheat ;  22,634,211  of  Indian  corn ;  2,025,520  of 
potatoes;  650,007  pounds  of  wool ;  17,742  of  hops;  200,947  of  cotton ;  564,326 
of  tobacco;  399,813  of  sugar;  1150  of  silk  cocoons;  1976  tons  hemp  and  flax; 
164/J32  of  hay.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $428,175;  of  the 
orchard  at  $126,756;  of  lumber  at  $203,666  ;  of  skins  and  furs  at  $39,412. 

Home-made  or  family  manufactures  amounted  to  $993,567;  4  fulling-mills 
and  16  woollen  manufactories  produced  goods  to  the  amount  of  $9540 ;  5  fur 
naces  produced  158  tons  of  cast-iron;  20  smelting-houses  produced  8,755,000 
pounds  of  lead  ;  22  persons  produced  20,000  bushels  of  salt;  hats  and  caps  were 
manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $28,395;  155  tanneries  employed  a  capital  of 
$155,679;  626  other  manufactories  of  leather,  as  saddleries,  &c.,  produced  arti 
cles  to  the  amount  of  $247,217;  machinery  was  produced  to  the  amount  of 
$37,720;  150  distilleries  produced  1,551,684  gallons  of  distilled  spirits;  11^ 
breweries  produced  90,300  gallons  of  beer;  carriages  and  wagons  were  produced 
to  the  amount  of  $144,362 ;  98  flouring-mills  produced  172,657  barrels  of  flour, 
and,  with  other  mills,  manufactured  articles  to  the  amount  of  $2,417,826;  vessels 


ILLINOIS.  83 


were  built  to  the  amount  of  $39,200.     The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in 
manufactures  was  $3,136,512. 

Illinois  College,  at  Jacksonville,  was  founded  in  1829 ;  Shurtleff  College, 
in  Upper  Alton,  in  1835;  M'Kendree  College,  in  Lebanon,  in  1834  ;  M'Donough 
College,  at  Macomb,  in  1837.  In  these  institutions  there  were,  in  1840,  311 
students.  There  were  in  the  State  42  academies,  with  1967  students;  1241 
common  and  primary  schools,  with  34,876  scholars,  and  27,502  white  persons, 
over  21  years  of  age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

The  Methodists  are  the  most  numerous  denomination ;  the  Baptists  and  Pres 
byterians  are  the  next  in  point  of  numbers ;  the  Episcopalians  and  Roman  Ca 
tholics  are  less  numerous  ;  and  there  are  some  other  denominations. 

In  1836  this  State  adopted  an  extensive  system  of  internal  improvements,  con 
sisting  of  canals  and  rail-roads,  most  of  which  must  be  left  to  another  generation 
to  complete.  The  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  the  most  important  of  them  all, 
is  in  progress,  and  will  probably  be  completed.  It  extends  from  Chicago  river, 
about  5  miles  from  Chicago,  to  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation  on  the  Illinois 
river,  at  Peru,  106  miles ;  it  is  60  feet  wide  at  the  top,  and  6  feet  deep.  A  rail 
road  extends  from  Springfield,  53  miles,  to  Merodosia,  on  Illinois  river.  Coal 
Mine  Bluffs  Rail-road  extends  from  Mississippi  river,  6  miles,  to  the  coal  mine. 
Other  rail-roads  have  been  commenced,  but  they  are  at  present  suspended. 

The  principal  town  in  Illinois  is  Chicago,  on  Lake  Michigan,  at  the  mouth  of 
a  small  river  of  the  same  name.  The  canal  now  in  progress  from  this  city  to  the 
Illinois  river,  when  completed,  will  bring  to  it  a  vast  increase  of  trade.  It  is 
situated  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  An  artificial  harbour  has  been  made 
by  the  construction  of  piers,  which,  extending  some  distance  into  the  lake, 
prevent  the  accumulation  of  sand  on  the  bar.  The  town  has  grown  up  within 
10  or  12  years,  and  contains  6  churches,  a  Court-House,  Jail,  U.  S.  Land-Office, 
an  academy,  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  with  numerous  stores  and  manufactories.  The 
city  is  supplied  with  water  from  the  lake.  Population,  in  1840,  4500. 

Vandalia,  the  late  capital  of  the  State,  is  a  small  town  with  800  inhabitants. 
It  is  on  the  route  of  the  National  Road,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Kaskaskia  river, 
about  80  miles  north-east  of  St.  Louis.  Alton,  situated  two  miles  and  a  half 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and  eighteen  below  that  of  the  Illinois,  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  is  the  most  commercial  town  in  the  State.  Possessing  a  com 
modious  harbour,  with  an  excellent  landing  for  steamboats,  it  has  become  the 
centre  of  an  active  and  growing  trade.  Population,  2340.  There  are  here  6 
churches,  a  bank,  Lyceum,  Mechanics'  Association,  8  schools,  a  penitentiary,  and 
3  printing-offices ;  and  the  picturesque  site  of  the  town  is  well  set  off  by  its  neat 
houses,  surrounded  by  tasteful  piazzas  and  gay  shrubbery.  Upper  Alton,  3  miles 
in  the  rear  of  Alton,  is  the  seat  of  Shurtleff  College,  and  a  theological  seminary. 
Edwardsville  is  a  neat  and  thriving  village,  to  the  north  ofAlton. 

Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia  are  old  French  villages  on  the  American  Bottom,  set 
tled  as  early  as  the  year  1683,  ffith  from  500  to  800  inhabitants  each,  most  of 
whom  are  French. 

Springfield,  the  capital  of  Illinois,  is  near  the  centre  of  the  State,  on  the  border 
of  a  beautiful  prairie,  and  surrounded  by  one  of  the  most  fertile  tracts  in  the 
Union.  It  contains  the  State-House,  Court-House,  market-house,  Jail,  U.  S. 
Land-Office,  3  academies,  6  churches,  34  stores,  one  iron-foundery,  4  carding 
machines,  3  printing-offices.  Population,  2579. 

Jacksonville  is  one  of  the  largest  inland  towns  in  the  State ;  it  is  on  an  ele 
vated  ground,  in  the  midst  of  a  delightful  prairie.  Population,  2500.  Carroll- 
ton,  further  south;  is  also  a  growing  village. 

Peoria  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  lake  of  that  name,  and  on  the  Illinois  river. 
It  contains  1467  inhabitants.  Ottawa,  above  the  Rapids,  and  near  the  western 
termination  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  is  also  a  flourishing  village,  with 
deep  water  and  a  good  landing. 

Quincy  is  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  104  miles  west  of  Springfield ; 
it  is  a  thriving  town,  and  has  1500  inhabitants.  Rock  Island  city  is  at  the 
junction  of  the  Mississippi  and  Brock  rivers ;  it  is  laid  out  on  an  extensive  scale, 
and  includes  Stephenson  village.  Population,  700.  Galena  city,  near  the  north- 


84  UNITED  STATES. 


west  corner  of  the  State,  is  the  metropolis  of  the  lead  region  of  Illinois  and  Wis 
consin  ;  it  is  on  Fever  river,  6  miles  from  the  Mississippi,  and  is  accessible  to 
steamboats  at  all  stages  of  the  water.  Large  quantities  of  lead  are  shipped  from 
Galena  every  season.  Population,  1500. 

Nauvoo,  the  city  of  the  Mormons,  is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Missis 
sippi  river,  124  miles  north-west  of  Springfield ;  it  is  4  miles  by  3  in  extent,  and 
contains  more  than  1000  buildings  and  7000  inhabitants.  The  chief  public 
buildings  are  the  Nauvoo-House,  a  spacious  hotel,  in  part  of  which  Joe  Smith, 
the  late  Mormon  prophet,  resided ;  the  Nauvoo  Temple,  an  edifice  130  by  100 
feet,  designed  as  the  grand  Cathedral  of  the  Mormon  sect;  and  a  university,  with 
a  president  and  several  professors.  A  military  body,  called  the  Nauvoo  Legion, 
consisting  of  from  2000  to  3000  men,  properly  officered,  armed  and  disciplined, 
has  been  organized  here.  About  3000  Mormons  reside  beyond  the  bounds  of  the 
city.  It  is  proposed  to  call  this  place  the  City  of  Joseph,  in  honour  of  the  de 
ceased  prophet. 


STATE   OF   MICHIGAN. 

THE  State  of  Michigan  consists  of  two  distinct  peninsulas.  The  southernmost, 
or  Michigan  Proper,  has  its  base  resting  upon  the  States  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and 
is  bounded  on  the  east  and  northeast  by  Lake  Huron,  for  a  distance  of  250  miles ; 
Lake  Michigan  is  its  western  boundary  for  an  extent  of  260  miles.  It  is  in 
length  about  288,  and  in  breadth,  at  the  widest  part,  190  miles.  Area,  38,000 
square  miles. 

The  northern  peninsula  lies  north-west  of  the  southern ;  it  was  nominally  at 
tached  to  Michigan,  while  under  a  territorial  government,  and  was  added  perma 
nently  to  her  territory  when  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State.  It  is  bounded 
north  by  Lake  Superior;  east  by  St.  Mary's  river;  south  by  Lake  Michigan; 
and  south-west  by  the  Mennomonie  and  Montreal  rivers ;  length,  from  east  to 
west,  about  320  miles;  breadth,  from  160  to  30  or  40  miles;  area,  28,000  square 
miles  ;  area  of  the  State,  66,000  miles. 

The  northern  peninsula  is  yet  but  imperfectly  known ;  the  surface  is  more  irre 
gular  than  that  of  the  southern  section,  and  is  much  less  suited  for  agricultural 
purposes  ;  but  it  is  nevertheless  important  on  account  of  the  Quantities  of  pine 
timber,  and  minerals,  which  abound  in  various  parts;  and  also  from  the  valuable 
fisheries  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior.  The  shores  of  the  latter  are  mostly 
low,  and  but  little  indented  by  bays  and  harbours ;  and  as  the  prevailing  winds 
are  from  the  north-west,  and  sweep  with  great  fury  over  the  lake,  navigation  is 
more  stormy  and  dangerous  than  along  the  Canada  shore. 

The  Pictured  Rocks  are  a  remarkable  natural  curiosity,  and  extend  along  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  a  distance  of*12  miles.  They  form  a  perpen 
dicular  wall,  300  feet  high,  presenting  a  great  variety  of  romantic  projections  and 
indentations,  having  the  appearance  of  landscapes,  buildings,  and  various  objects 
delineated  by  the  hand  of  man ;  among  the  features  that  attract  admiration  are 
the  cascade  La  Portaille,  and  the  Doric  Arch.  The  cascade  consists  of  a  con 
siderable  stream  precipitated  from  the  height  of  about  70  feet,  by  a  single  leap, 
into  the  lake.  The  Doric  Rock,  or  Arch,  has  the  appearance  of  a  work  of  art, 
consisting  of  an  isolated  mass  of  sandstone,  with  4  pillars,  supporting  a  stratum 
or  entablature  of  stone,  covered  with  soil,  and  giving  support  to  a  handsome 
growth  of  spruce  and  pine  trees,  some  of  which  are  50  or  60  feet  high. 

The  native  inhabitants  of  this  region  are  some  bands  of  the  Chtppeways,  on 
the  shores  of  Lake  Superior,  comprising  only  about  1400  or  1500. 

The  southern  peninsula  is  generally  a  level  country,  having  no  elevation  that 
can  properly  be  called  a  hill ;  its  centre  is  a  table-land,  elevated  30  or  40  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  lakes.  Along  the  coast  of  Lake  Huron  there  are  in  places 
hitjh  bluffs :  and  along  the  east  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  are  hills  of  pure  sand, 
of  from  50  to  several  hundred  feet  in  height,  which  have  been  blown  up  by  the 
almost  constant  western  winds  sweeping  over  the  lake. 


MICHIGAN.  85 


The  peninsula  abounds  in  rivers  :  none  of  them  have  much  extent  of  course, 
and  but  few  are  navigable  to  any  considerable  distance  inland.  Grand  river  is 
the  largest:  it  empties  into  Lake  Michigan  :  its  whole  course  is  about  150  miles, 
and  it  is  navigable  50  miles  from  the  lake  to  the  rapids  for  sloops  and  steam 
boats,  and  above  that  point  there  is  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  boats  50  miles 
farther.  The  St.  Joseph's  river  is  a  considerable  stream,  and  empties  into  Lake 
Michigan  at  the  south-west  angle  of  the  territory.  It  is,  like  Grand  river,  navi 
gable  for  large  sloops  to  the  rapids,  and  above  them  has  a  still  farther  extent  of 
boat  navigation.  It  flows  through  a  very  fertile  region,  variegated  by  prairies 
and  high  forests;  the  country  on  this  river  is  not  surpassed,  in  point  of  beauty 
and  fertility,  by  any  in  the  L  nion.  The  other  considerable  streams  which  flow 
into  Lake  Michigan  are  the  Kalamazoo,  Grand,  Maskegon,  Pentwater,  Manistic, 
and  Aux  Betises.  Those  which  flow  into  Lake  Erie  are  the  Raisin  and  Huron 
rivers.  The  Clinton  is  the  only  considerable  river  which  falls  into  Lake  St. 
Clair.  The  Belle,  and  Black,  or  Dulude,  fall  into  St.  Clair  river.  The  Saginaw, 
running  northward,  falls  into  Saginaw  Bay,  of  Lake  Huron.  Many  other,  but 
smaller  streams,  fall  into  the  same  lake,  such  as  the  Thunder  Bay,  Sandy,  Aux 
Carpe  and  Cheboeigon  rivers. 

Wheat,  Indian  corn,  and  the  other  productions  of  this  section  of  the  Union,  are 
raised  easily,  and  in  abundance.  It  is  a  country  highly  favourable  to  cultivated 
grasses.  No  inland  country,  according  to  its  age,  population,  and  circumstances, 
has  a  greater  trade.  A  number  of  steam-boats  and  lake  vessels  are  constantly 
plying  in  this  trade,  which  is  with  Detroit,  Chicago,  Ohio  and  New  York. 

The  climate  of  this  region,  in  consequence  of  its  being  level  and  peninsular, 
and  adjacent  to  such  large  bodies  of  water,  is  more  temperate  than  could  be  ex 
pected  from  its  latitude.  The  southern  counties  have  mild  winters,  and  the  spring 
opens  as  early  as  in  any  part  of  the  United  States  in  the  same  latitude  :  the  po 
sition  of  the  northern  division  subjects  it  to  a  Canadian  temperature.  The  winter 
commences  early  in  November,  and  does  not  terminate  until  the  end  of  March. 

The  population,  in  1810,  was  4528  ;  in  1820,  9048 ;  in  1830,  31,639 ;  in  1840, 
212,267.  Of  these  113,395  were  white  males;  98,165  do.  females;  393  co 
loured  males  ;  314  do.  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  56,521 ;  in  commerce, 
728;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  6890;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  24  ;  do.  canals, 
lakes,  and  rivers,  166;  in  mining,  40;  in  the  learned  professions,  904. 

There  were  in  1840.  30,144  horses  and  mules;  185,190  neat  cattle;  99,618 
sheep  ;  295,890  swine ;  poultry  was  produced  to  the  value  of  $82,730.  There 
were  produced  2,157,108  bushels  of  wheat;  127,802  of  barley;  2,114,057  of 
oats ;  34,236  of  rye ;  2,227,039  of  Indian  corn ;  1 1 3,592  of  buckwheat ;  2,109,205 
of  potatoes ;  153,375  pounds  of  wool ;  1,329,784  of  sugar ;  130,805  tons  of  hay  ; 
755  of  hemp  or  flax.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $301,052  ;  of  the 
orchard  at  $16,905  ;  and  of  lumber  at  $392,325. 

The  exports  of  Michigan,  in  1840,  amounted  to  $162,229  ;  and  the  imports  to 
$138,610.  Capital  employed  in  foreign  trade  $177,500;  capital  employed  in  the 
retail  trade  $2,228,988 ;  capital  employed  in  the  lake  fisheries  $28,640. 

The  amount  of  home-made  or  family  articles  was  $113,955  ;  capital  employed 
in  manufactures,  in  1840,  $3,112,240;  more  than  $2,400,000  of  which  was  in 
vested  in  flouring,  and  other  mills. 

Michigan  University,  at  Ann  Arbor,  has  departments  of  literature,  science,  and 
the  arts,  and  of  law  and  medicine.  It  has  academic  branches  at  Detroit,  Ann 
Arbor,  Monroe,  Kalamazoo,  White  Pigeon,  and  Tecumseh.  Marshall  College, 
at  Marshall,  and  St.  Philip's  College,  near  Detroit,  are  respectable  institutions. 
These  colleges  had,  in  1840,  158  students.  There  were  in  the  State  12  acade 
mies,  with  485  students  ;  and  975  common  and  primary  schools,  with  29,701 
scholars.  There  were  2173  white  persons,  over  20  years  of  age,  that  could  nei 
ther  read  nor  write. 

In  1836  the  Presbyterians  had  42  churches  and  19  ministers;  the  Baptists  had 
17  churches  and  11  ministers;  the  Roman  Catholics  had  one  bishop  and  18 
ministers ;  the  Episcopalians  had  one  bishop  and  4  ministers ;  and  the  Metho 
dists  were  considerably  numerous. 

The  most  important  works  of  internal  improvement  are  the  Central  Rail-road, 


86  UNITED  STATES. 


now  completed  from  Detroit  to  Jackson,  80  miles  ;  the  Southern  Railroad  is 
completed  and  in  operation  from  Monroe  to  Adrian,  36  miles.  The  Erie  and 
Kalamazoo  Rail-road  is  in  operation,  30  miles,  from  Toledo  to  Adrian.  The 
Detroit  and  Pontiac  Rail-road  is  in  operation,  25  miles,  from  Detroit  to  Pontiac. 
Other  works  which  have  been  projected  are,  for  the  present,  suspended  or  aban 
doned.  / 

The  city  of  Detroit,  the  capital  of  Michigan,  stands  on  the  western  shore  of 
Detroit  river,  which  unites  Lakes  Erie  and  St.  Clair.  Few  places  are  better  situ 
ated  for  a  commercial  city,  and  few  have  a  more  solid  promise  of  permanent  pros 
perity.  It  is  regularly  laid  out  with  the  streets  crossing  each  other  at  right 
angles.  The  chief  public  buildings  are  the  State-House,  City  Hall,  8  churches, 
4  banks,  3  market-houses,  a  theatre,  circus,  State  Penitentiary,  County  Jail,  Go 
vernment  Magazine,  Mechanics'  Hall,  &c.  There  are  3  female  seminaries,  seve 
ral  high  schools  for  boys,  and  12  public  schools.  The  Michigan  State  Library 
contains  2000  volumes.  Detroit  is  finely  situated  for  trade  ;  the  navigation  of  the 
river  and  lake  are  open  about  8  months  in  the  year.  The  arrivals  of  vessels  and 
steam-boats  is  about  300  annually,  and  clearances  the  same.  The  tonnage  of 
the  port,  in  1840,  was  11,432.  Population,  9102. 

Monroe,  on  the  river  Raisin,  2£  miles  from  its  mouth,  is  a  town  of  consider 
able  trade.  A  ship  canal,  100  feet  wide  and  12  deep,  connects  it  with  the  lakes; 
steam-boats  from  Buffalo  and  Detroit  stop  here.  Population,  1703.  Adrain, 
higher  up  on  the  same  river,  has  2496  inhabitants.  St.  Joseph's,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Joseph's  river,  is  the  most  important  town  on  the  east  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan.  Marshall,  on  the  Kalamazoo  river,  and  Pontiac,  at  the  northern  termi 
nation  of  the  Detroit  and  Pontiac  Rail-road,  are  thriving  towns  in  the  interior. 
Mackinaw,  on  Michillimackinae  Island,  in  the  northern  part  of  Lake  Huron,  was 
long  noted  for  its  fur  trade.  Sault  St.  Mary  (pronounced  Soo  St.  Mary)  is  on 
the  river  St.  Mary,  near  to  where  it  flows  out  of  Lake  Superior;  it  is  the  most 
northern  town  in  the  State,  and  has  about  900  inhabitants.  Great  quantities  of 
white  fish  and  lake  trout  are  caught  here;  they  are  salted  and  exported  to  a  con 
siderable  amount.  The  navigation  is  closed  from  the  middle  of  November  until 
the  1st  of  May.  In  winter  the  thermometer  often  sinks  to  20°  or  30°  below  zero, 
and  the  mercury  sometimes  freezes. 


STATE   OF    MISSOURI. 

MISSOURI  is  bounded  north  by  Iowa ;  west  by  the  Western  or  Indian  Territory ; 
east  by  the  Mississippi  river,  which  separates  it  from  Illinois,  Kentucky,  and 
Tennessee  ;  and  south  by  the  State  of  Arkansas.  Its  length  is  about  280  miles, 
and  medium  breadth  230,  the  area  being  about  65,000  square  miles.  The  Mis 
sissippi  river  forms  the  whole  of  the  eastern,  and  the  Missouri  a  portion  of  the 
western  boundary  of  the  State.  The  western  line  of  the  State,  south  of  the  Mis 
souri  river,  is  the  meridian  which  passes  through  the  point  of  junction  of  the 
Kansas  and  the  Missouri  rivers. 

Besides  the  great  rivers  Mississippi  and  Missouri,  this  State  is  watered  by 
others  of  smaller  magnitude.  The  largest  are  the  Osage,  Grand,  Salt,  Chariton, 
Gasconade,  Merrimac  or  Maranec,  Big  Black,  and  St.  Francis.  The  Osage  is  a 
large  river,  navigable  for  boats  660  miles.  Between  the  Osage  and  Missouri,  and 
north  of  the  latter,  the  country  is  undulating  and  agreeably  diversified ;  while  in 
the  south-east,  between  the  Big  Black  river  and  the  Mississippi,  the  whole  tract, 
with  the  exception  of  a  narrow  strip  on  the  border  of  the  latter,  is  a  low,  inun 
dated  morass,  forming  a  portion  of  the  great  swamp  of  which  the  principal  part 
is  in  the  State  of  Arkansas. 

The  lands  bordering  on  the  Missouri  are  very  fertile.  They  consist  of  a  stra 
tum  of  black  alluvial  soil,  of  unknown  depth.  On  receding  from  the  banks  of 
the  rivers,  the  land  rises,  passing  sometimes  gradually,  and  sometimes  abruptly, 
into  elevated  barrens,  flinty  ridges,  and  rocky  cliffs.  A  portion  of  the  State  is, 
therefore,  unfit  for  cultivation;  but  this  part  of  it,  however,  is  rich  in  mineral 


MISSOURI.  87 


treasures.  The  land  is  either  very  fertile  or  very  poor;  it  is  either  bottom  land 
or  cliff,  either  prairie  or  barren :  there  is  very  little  of  an  intermediate  quality. 
The  climate  is  remarkably  serene  and  temperate,  and  very  favourable  to  health. 

Missouri  is  admirably  adapted  for  a  grazing  country,  and  large  herds  of  cattle, 
horses,  and  swine  are  raised.  Beef,  pork,  tallow,  hides,  and  live-stock  constitute 
important  articles  of  export.  Cotton  is  produced  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
State,  but  not  in  considerable  quantities ;  tobacco  is  more  extensively  grown,  and 
hemp,  wheat,  Indian  corn,  and  the  other  cereal  grains  are  cultivated  with  success. 

The  lead  mines  of  Missouri  are  estimated  to  cover  an  area  of  3000  square 
miles;  the  centre  of  the  lead  district  is  about 70  miles  south-west  from  St.  Louis. 
These  mines  were  wrought  by  the  French  100  years  ago.  In  1840,  there  was 
made  here  about  2400  tons  of  lead.  South  of  the  lead  region  is  the  noted  iron 
mountain,  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  of  the  kind  in  the  world  ;  it  is  a  mile 
broad  at  its  base,  3  miles  long,  and  from  300  to  450  feet  high,  filled  with  mica 
ceous  oxide  of  iron,  which  yields  80  per  cent,  of  the  pure  metal.  Not  far  distant 
is  another  body  of  iron  ore  equally  rich,  called  the  Pilot  Knob,  a  mile  and  a  half 
wide  at  the  base,  and  300  feet  high.  In  this  region  are  likewise  found  copper, 
zinc,  manganese,  antimony,  calamine,  cobalt,  &c. 

Numerous  shot-factories  are  established  along  the  high  rocky  bluffs  of  the  Mis 
sissippi,  which  renders  the  erection  of  towers  unnecessary.  Iron  is  found  in 
inexhaustible  quantities,  and  is  pretty  extensively  wrought.  Coal  also  abounds 
particularly  along  the  Missouri,  and  aluminous  and  nitrous  earth,  marble,  salt- 
springs,  sulphuretted  and  thermal  waters,  &c.,  occur. 

The  population  of  the  State,  in  1810,  was  19,833;  in  1820,  66,586;  in  1830, 
140,074;  in  1840,  383,702;  of  whom  58,240  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  popula 
tion,  173,470  were  white  males;  150,418  white  females;  883  coloured  males; 
691  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agriculture,  92,408 ;  in  commerce,  2522 ;  in 
manufactures  and  trades,  11,100;  in  mining,  742;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  39  ; 
do.  rivers,  lakes  and  canals,  1885;  in  the  learned  professions,  1496.  By  a  cen 
sus  taken  bv  authority  of  the  State  in  1844,  the  population  was  found  to  have 
increased  to  "ill, 937,  of  whom  70,300  were  slaves. 

There  were  in  1840,  196,132  horses  and  mules;  433,875  neat  cattle ;  348,018 
sheep;  1,271,161  swine.  There  were  produced,  1,037,386  bushels  of  wheat; 
68,608  of  rye  ;  17,332,524  of  Indian  corn ;  15,318  of  buckwheat ;  9801  of  barley  ; 
2,234,947  of  oats;  783,768  of  potatoes;  562,265  pounds  of  wool;  9,067,913  of 
tobacco;  121,121  of  cotton ;  274,853  of  sugar;  49,083  tons  of  hay;  18,010  of 
hemp  or  flax ;  poultry  valued  at  $270,647.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued 
at  $100,432;  of  the  orchard,  at  $90,878  ;  of  lumber,  at  $70,355. 

Home-made  or  family  manufactures  amounted  to  $1,149,544 ;  9  woollen  manu 
factories  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of  $13,750;  2  furnaces  produced  180 
tons  of  cast-iron,  and  4  forges  produced  118  tons  of  bar-iron ;  21  smel ting-houses 
produced  5,295,455  pounds  of  lead ;  69  persons  produced  249,302  bushels  of 
bituminous  coal;  36  persons  produced  13,150  bushels  of  salt;  machinery  was 
produced  to  the  amount  of  $190,412;  293  distilleries  produced  508,368  gallons 
of  distilled  spirits ;  7  breweries  produced  374,700  gallons  of  beer ;  wagons  and 
carriages  were  produced  to  the  amount  of  $97,112;  64  flouring-mills  produced 
49,363  barrels  of  flour,  and,  with  other  mills,  produced  articles  to  the  amount  of 
$960,058.  The  total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $2,704,405. 

The  University  of  St.  Louis  was  founded  in  1829;  Kemper  College,  at  St. 
Louis,  in  1840;  St.  Mary's  College,  at  the  Barrens  in  St.  Genevieve  county,  in 
iS30 ;  Marion  College,  in  Marion  county,  in  1831 ;  St.  Charles  College,  in  1839  ;* 
and  Missouri  University,  at  Columbia,  in  1840;  Fayette  College,  at  Fayette,  is 
a  new  institution.  In  the  colleges  founded  before  1839,  there  were,  in  1840,  495 
students.  There  were  in  the  State,  47  academies  with  1926  students;  and  642 
common  and  primary  schools,  with  16,788  scholars.  There  were  19,457  white 
persons  over  20  years  of  age  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

In  1836,  the  Methodists  had  51  travelling  preachers,  and  8692  members;  the 
Baptists  had  146  churches,  86  ministers,  and  4972  communicants;  the  Presbyte 
rians  had  33  churches  and  17  ministers ;  the  Roman  Catholics  had  one  bishop 

z-——__--.:_..-_:_j_1-:— —--•_—•-..-— -^ . ^r^_:^^_-   •    •  ,_^^^.^ ^-^^.^^^^^.^ •••_.- i 

3D 


UNITED  STATES. 


and  30  ministers;  the  Episcopalians  had  three  ministers.  There  were  besides,  a 
number  of  Cumberland  and  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterians. 

St.  Louis  is  the  commercial  capital  of  Missouri,  and  the  largest  town  west  of 
the  Mississippi.  It  is  built  on  two  banks,  the  first,  not  much  raised  above  the 
level  of  the  river,  contains  two  narrow  streets  running  parallel  with  its  course, 
and  the  second,  or  higher  bank,  which  spreads  out  into  a  wide  plain  in  the  rear, 
comprises  the  rest  of  the  city.  The  upper  part  is  well  laid  out,  with  spacious  and 
wide  streets.  This  city  was  founded  in  1764,  but  it  continued  to  be  an  inconsi 
derable  village  while  the  country  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards  and 
French.  It  is  the  emporium  of  the  Upper  Missouri  and  Mississippi,  and  must 
continue  to  increase  in  importance  as  the  vast  regions  to  the  north  and  west 
become  settled.  The  lead  mines  in  its  vicinity,  and  the  establishments  connected 
with  the  Indian  agencies,  land-offices,  &c.,  also  create  a  good  deal  of  business. 
The  population  is  now  chiefly  composed  of  Americans,  besides  French,  Ger 
mans,  &c.  The  city  contains  21  churches,  a  Land-Office,  Theatre,  Bank,  2  In 
surance  Companies,  Museum,  Masonic  Hall,  2  Orphan  Asylums,  the  St.  Louis 
University,  Western  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  80  schools,  and  a  United 
States  Arsenal.  The  city  is  supplied  with  water  raised  by  steam-power  from  the 
Mississippi  to  a  reservoir  on  an  elevated  ancient  mound,  whence  it  is  distributed 
over  the  town  in  iron  pipes.  A  company  is  also  formed  for  lighting  the  streets 
with  gas.  St.  Louis  is  the  principal  depot  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  who 
have  a  large  establishment  here  with  1000  men  in  their  employ,  who  collept  and 
dispose  of  a  vast  amount  of  furs.  The  arrivals  of  steam-boats  at  this  port  have 
amounted  to  800  in  a  year,  with  a  tonnage  of  100,000  tons.  Population  in  1830, 
5852;  in  1840,  16,469;  in  1844,  34,140.  Jefferson  United  States'  barracks  are 
on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  10  miles  below  the  city,  and  can  accommodate 
about  700  men. 

St.  Charles,  20  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and  the  same  distance 
from  St.  Louis,  is  a  pleasant  village,  with  1042  inhabitants,  of  whom  many  are  of 
French  descent ;  it  consists  of  five  streets  that  run  parallel  with  the  river,  on 
which  are  some  handsome  buildings.  St.  Charles  was  for  a  numbeji  of  years  the 
capital  of  the  State. 

Jefferson  city,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  near  the  centre  of 
the  State,  is  the  capital  of  Missouri ;  it  contains  the  State-House,  and  a  Peniten 
tiary;  its  site  is  not  a  fortunate  selection,  and  it  has  not  in  consequence  pros 
pered.  Population,  1175.  Higher  up  the  stream  are  the  villages  of  Franklin, 
Booneville,  Keytesville,  Lexington,  and  Liberty. 

Independence,  a  town  south  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  near  the  western  boun 
dary  of  the  State,  is  the  point  from  whence  the  traders  to  Santa  Fe  and  the  emi 
grants  to  Oregon  commence  their  respective  journeys.  Such  numbers  sometimes 
collect  on  these  occasions,  that  they  cannot  be  accommodated  with  lodgings  in 
the  town,  but  encamp  in  the  fields  in  the  vicinity.  Platte  city,  on  Platte  river, 
and  Weston  on  the  Mississippi,  above  Fort  Leavenworth,  are  thriving  towns. 
Herculaneum,  30  miles  below  St.  Louis,  is  a  small  town,  which  contains  nume 
rous  shot-works,  and  serves  as  one  of  the  ports  of  the  lead  district.  Population. 
1607.  St.  Genevieve  is  another  old  French  village,  built  on  a  high  alluvial  bank 
which  the  river  is  now  washing  away.  Cape  Girardeau,  situated  on  a  high  bluff 
in  the  midst  of  a  rich  district,  is  the  dep6t  of  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  Po 
pulation,  1728.  New  Madrid  is  an  inconsiderable  village,  on  a  high  alluvial 
bank,  which,  like  that  of  St.  Genevieve,  has  been  mostly  carried  away  by  the 
river.  The  village  also  suffered  from  the  earthquake  of  181 1.  Population,  about 
500. 


STATE   OF   ARKANSAS. 

ARKANSAS  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Missouri,  east  by  the  Mississippi  river, 
which  separates  it  from  Tennessee  and  the  State  of  Mississippi,  south  by  Lou 
isiana,  and  west  by  the  Western  or  Indian  Territory  and  the  northern  part  of 
Texas.  Its  southern  line  is  the  33°  of  north  latitude;  the  northern  36°  30'.  Its 


ARKANSAS. 


length,  from  north  to  south,  is  245  miles,  and  mean  breadth  about  212;  its  area 
is  51,960  square  miles. 

The  principal  river,  besides  the  Mississippi,  is  the  Arkansas.  Its  course  is 
nearly  through  the  centre  of  the  State  from  west  to  east;  and  it  affords  at  all 
times  steam-boat  navigation  to  Little.  Rock,  300  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  occa 
sionally  to  Fort  Gibson,  nearly  350  miles  farther.  The  other  important  streams 
are  the  Red  river,  St.  Francis,  White,  and  Washita  rivers. 

The  surface  of  the  country  exhibits  much  variety.  In  the  eastern  portion, 
along  the  Mississippi  river,  it  is  level,  and  often  overflown  by  that  noble  river. 
In  the  central  part  it  is  undulating  and  broken,  and  in  the  western  section  it  is 
traversed  by  the  Ozark  Mountains,  which  are  estimated  to  attain  an  altitude  of 
about  2000  feet  above  the  ocean.  The  other  considerable  elevations  are  the  Black 
Hills,  north  of  the  Arkansas,  and  the  Washita  Hills,  on  the  head  waters  of  the 
Washita  river.  The  soil  is  of  all  qualities,  from  the  most  productive  to  the  most 
sterile ;  much  of  it  is  of  the  latter  description.  It  has,  however,  a  sufficient 
amount  of  excellent  land  to  enable  it  to  become  a  rich  and  populous  State. 

Of  the  products  of  Arkansas,  cotton  is  the  staple;  corn  and  sweet-potatoes 
thrive  well ;  wheat,  and  other  small  grains,  have  not  been  cultivated  to  a  great 
extent;  peaches  are  remarkably  fine ;  but  apples  do  not  succeed  so  well.  The  wild 
fruits,  grapes,  plums,  &c.,  are  abundant.  Among  the  curiosities  may  be  men 
tioned  the  vast  masses  of  sea-shells  that  are  found  in  different  places:  they 
answer  a  valuable  purpose  to  the  inhabitants,  who  collect  and  burn  them  for  lime. 

The  hot  or  warm  springs,  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Washita  river,  are  among 
the  most  interesting  curiosities  of  the  country;  they  are  remarkably  limpid  and 
pure,  and  are  used  by  the  people  who  resort  there  for  health,  for  culinary  purposes. 
They  have  been  analyzed,  and  exhibit  no  mineral  properties  beyond  common 
spring-water.  Their  efficacy  undoubtedly  results  from  the  refreshing  mountain 
breezes,  the  conveniences  of  warm  and  tepid  bathing,  and  the  novel  and  romantic 
scenery  of  the  surrounding  regions. 

The  population  of  Arkansas  in  1830,  was  30,388  ;  in  1840,  97,574 ;  of  which 
19,935  were  slaves.  Of  the  free  population,  42,211  were  white  males;  34,963 
white  females;  248  coloured  males  ;  217  coloured  females.  Employed  in  agri 
culture,  26,355 ;  in  commerce,  215  ;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  1 173  ;  navigating 
the  ocean,  3;  do.  rivers,  canals,  &c.,  39;  in  the  learned  professions,  301. 

There  were,  in  1840,  51,472  horses  and  mules;  188,786  neat  cattle ;  42,151 
sheep;  393,058  swine.  There  were  produced,  105,878  bushels  of  wheat; 
4,846,642  of  Indian  corn;  199,553  of  oats;  293,608  of  potatoes;  6,028,642 
pounds  of  cotton;  148,439  of  tobacco.  The  capital  employed  in  foreign  trade 
amounted  to  $91,000;  capital  in  the  retail  trade,  $1,578,719. 

The  home-made  or  family  articles  made  in  1840  amounted  to  $489,750.  There 
is  but  little  attention  yet  bestowed  on  manufactures ;  the  capital  employed  in 
them  amounted  to  $424,467. 

There  is  no  college  in  this  State.  There  were  8  academies,  with  300  students ; 
113  schools,  with  2614  scholars.  The  principal  religious  denominations  are  Me 
thodists  and  Baptists ;  there  are  also  Presbyterians,  Episcopalians  and  Roman 
Catholics. 

Little  Rock,  the  capital  of  Arkansas,  is  on  the  south  bank  of  Arkansas  river, 
and  at  the  head  of  permanent  steam-boat  navigation  on  that  stream.  It  is  on  a 
high  bluff,  elevated  from  150  to  200  feet  above  the  river,  and  is  the  first  place  in 
which  rocks  occur  above  its  mouth.  It  is  regularly  laid  out,  and  contains  a  State- 
House,  Court-House,  Jail,  5  churches,  2  banks,  a  theatre,  an  academy,  a  United 
States  Arsenal,  United  States  Land  Office,  Penitentiary,  21  stores,  2  steam  saw 
mills,  500  dwelling's,  and  about  3000  inhabitants. 

Helena,  on  the  west  bank  of  Mississippi  river,  contains  a  Court-House,  Jail, 
U.  S.  Land  Office,  10  stores,  and  500  inhabitants.  Fayetteville  contains  a  Court- 
House,  Jail,  a  U.  S.  Land  Office,  and  about  450  inhabitants.  Columbia,  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  has  a  Court-House,  Jail,  75  dwellings,  and  500  inhabitants. 
Arkansas,  on  the  north  bank  of  Arkansas  river,  6n  a  high  bluff  with  flats  in  the 
vicinity,  which  are  inundated  at  times  by  the  White  river,  contains  a  Court- 


UNITED  STATES. 


louse,  Jail,  about  50  dwellings,  and  300  inhabitants.  These  are  the  most  im- 
)ortant  towns.  Since  the  opening  of  the  Great  Raft,  and  the  improvement  of  the 
mvigation  of  Red  river,  this  section  of  the  State  has  been  improving. 


THE   STATE   OF   IOWA. 

THIS  State  comprises  about  a  fourth  part  of  the  late  Territory  of  Iowa,  it  lies 
mmediately  east  of  the  Mississippi  river  and  north  of  the  State  of  Missouri.  It 
las  an  area  of  45,000  square  miles.  The  south-eastern  section  of  the  territory  is 
Jie  only  part  yet  settled,  and  is  a  beautiful,  fertile,  healthful  region,  interspersed 
with  timber  land  and  prairie,  and  abounding  in  springs  and  mill-streams. 

The  principal  rivers  of  Iowa,  besides  the  Mississippi,  which  forms  its  eastern 
Boundary,  are  the  Blue-Earth,  Upper  Iowa,  Turkey,  Maquekota,  Wapsipimecon, 
Red-Cedar,  Iowa,  Chicagua  or  Skunk,  and  Des  Moines. 

The  products  of  the  soil  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  neighbouring  States : 
wheat,  corn,  rye,  oats,  and  potatoes,  all  grow  with  great  luxuriance,  and  are  of 
excellent  quality.  The  mineral  region  of  Iowa  appears  to  be  connected  with  that 
of  Wisconsin,  and  is  equally  rich  in  metal.  The  limits  of  the  country  containing 
he  lead  ore  are  unknown,  but  it  probably  extends  hundreds  of  miles  towards,  and 
nto  the  State  of  Missouri :  besides  lead ;  copper,  iron  and  coal  are  known  to 
abound.  • 

Few  portions  of  the  United  States  have  excited  so  much  attention  as  Iowa ;  it 
s  settling  more  rapidly  than  any  other  portion  of  the  western  country  with  enter 
prising  and  industrious  inhabitants.  A  number  of  towns  have  been  laid  out ;  of 
which  some  that  are  situated  on  the  Mississippi,  are  increasing  very  fast. 

Iowa  was  erected  into  a  separate  territorial  government  June  1838,  and  an  ac 
was  passed  by  Congress  and  approved  March  3,  1845,  admitting  it  into  the  Union 
as  a  State,  subject  to  the  condition  of  being  approved  of  or  rejected  by  the  people 
at  the  next  ensuing  election.  The  population,  in  1840,  was  43,111.  Of  these 
there  were  employed  in  agriculture  10,469  ;  in  commerce  355 ;  in  manufactures 
and  trades  1629  ;  in  mining  '217  ;  in  navigating  the  ocean,  rivers,  and  canals  91 
in  the  learned  professions  365. 

There  were  in- Iowa,  in  1840,  10,794  horses  and  mules;  38,049  neat  cattle 
15,354  sheep ;  104,899  swine ;  poultry  was  valued  at  $16,529.  There  were  pro 
duced  154,693  bushels  of  wheat;  3792  of  rye  ;  1,406,241  of  Indian  corn ;  6212 
of  buckwheat;  216,385  of  oats;  728  of  barley;  234,063  of  potatoes;  23,033 
pounds  of  wool;  8706  of  tobacco;  41,450  of  sugar;  17,953  tons  of  hay;  313  of 
hemp  or  flax.  The  products  of  the  dairy  were  valued  at  $23,609  ;  of  lumber  a 
$50,280 ;  of  skins  and  furs  at  $33,594. 

Home-made  or  family  manufactures,  in  1840,  amounted  to  $25,966.  Th< 
total  amount  of  capital  employed  in  manufactures  was  $199,645. 

The  University  of  Iowa,  at  Mount  Pleasant,  has  been  chartered  by  the  territo 
rial  legislature,  under  the  direction  of  21  trustees ;  7  academies  have  been  incor 
porated.  In  1840  there  was  in  operation  one  academy  with  25  students.  There 
were  63  common  and  primary  schools,  with  1500  scholars. 

Iowa  City,  the  capital  of  the  territory,  is  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  lows 
river,  and  70  miles  from  the  Mississippi:  population  800:  houses  150.  Thf 
capitol  is  a  handsome  edifice  built  in  the  Doric  style  of  architecture,  120  feet  b) 
60.  Burlington,  the  first  capital  of  Iowa,  is  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississipp 
river,  250  miles  above  St.  Louis.  The  town  is  regularly  laid  out,  and  contains 
several  public  buildings  ;  the  stores  are  numerous,  and  the  business  is  very  con 
siderable.  Population,  1400.  Dubuque  is  also  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Missis 
sippi,  and  about  180  miles  higher  up  that  stream  than  Burlington;  it  is  the  com 
mercial  capital  of  the  mining  district  of  Iowa,  and  some  of  the  finest  lead  mines 
in  the  United  States  are  in  its  vicinity.  Among  its  churches  is  a  Roman  Catho 
lic  cathedral  of  stone  :  there  are  various  public  buildings,  and  a  number  of  stores 
the  trade  of  the  town  is  important  and  valuable.  Population,  1300.  Peru,  Da 
venport,  Bloomington,  Fort  Madison,  Montrose,  and  Mount  Pleasant,  are  the 
other  principal  towns. 


WISCONSIN  TERRITORY. 


91 


WISCONSIN    TERRITORY. 

THIS  territory  was  erected  into  a  separate  government  in  1836,  and  for  two 
years  afterwards  included  Iowa  within  its  limits.  It  stretches  from  the  Missis 
sippi  river  on  the  west  to  Lake  Michigan -on  the  east,  and  from  the  n6rthern  boun 
dary  of  the  Union  to  the  State  of  Illinois  on  the  south.  It  is  in  length  near  600 
miles,  and  from  100  to  200  miles  in  breadth;  containing  probably  an  area  of 
100,000  square  miles.  A  considerable  portion  of  this  territory  is  still  inhabited 
by  Indians. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries,  the  St.  Croix,  Chip- 
peway,  Wisconsin,  Rock  river,  &c. ;  the  St.  Louis,  Montreal,  and  other  streams, 
flowing  into  Lake  Superior ;  the  Mennomonie  and  Fox  rivers  of  Green  Bay,  and 
others.  In  some  parts  of  the  territory  the  soil  is  very  fertile,  and  produces  large 
crops  of  the  various  grains  common  to  this  section  of  the  Union.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Lake  Michigan  the  water-courses,  ponds,  and  marshes,  are  covered  with  wild 
rice,  which  constitutes  a  considerable  part  of  the  food  of  the  Indians. 

Wisconsin  is  rich  in  minerals :  lead  is  found  in  great  abundance,  and  also 
copper  and  iron.  The  lead  region  comprises  a  portion  of  the  richest  lead  deposits 
in  the  world  :  it  extends  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  from  the  Wisconsin 
to  the  Rock  river,  and  on  the  west  it  connects  with  the  lead  region  of  Iowa. 
Lead  mining  is  carried  on  extensively,  as  well  as  that  of  copper :  about  6400 
tons  of  lead  were  made  here  in  1840. 

The  population,  in  1840,  was  30,945;  of  these  18,768  were  white  males; 
11,992  do.  females;  101  were  coloured  males;  84  do.  females;  employed  in 
agriculture,  7047;  in  commerce,  479;  in  manufactures  and  trades,  1814;  in 
mining,  479 ;  in  navigating  lakes,  rivers,  canals,  &c.,  223  ;  in  the  learned  pro 
fessions,  259. 

There  were  in  the  territory,  in  1840,  5735  horses  and  mules;  30,269  nea 
cattle;  3462  sheep;  51,383  swine;  poultry  was  raised  to  the  value  of  $16,167 
There  were  produced  212,216  bushels  of  wheat;  1965  of  rye;  379,359  of  Indian 
corn;  10,654  of  buckwheat;  11,062  of  barley ;  406,514  of  oats;  419,608  of 
potatoes;  6777  pounds  of  wool ;  135,288  of  sugar.  The  products  of  the  dairy 
were  valued  at  $35,677 ;  the  amount  of  lumber  produced  was  $202,293  ;  of  skins 
and  furs  $124,776. 

Home-made  articles  amounted  to  $12,567 ;  and  the  capital  employed  in  manu 
factures  to  $635,926  ;  40  smelting-houses  produced  15,129,350  pounds  of  lead. 

No  college  has  been  established  in  Wisconsin ;  but  23,040  acres  of  land  have 
been  granted  for  a  university.  The  land  has  been  advantageously  located.  There 
were,  in  1840,  two  academies,  with  65  students;  and  77  common  and  primary 
schools,  with  1937  scholars. 

Fort  Winnebaoro,  a  United  States'  garrison,  stands  at  the  portage  between  the 
Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers ;  the  waters  of  the  two  streams  here  approach  so  close 
to  each  other,  and  are  so  nearly  on  a  level,  that  boats,  in  wet  seasons,  have  been 
floated  from  one  to  the  other.  A  canal  is  in  progress  of  construction  for  the  pur 
pose  of  connecting  these  rivers.  In  the  vicinity  of  Green  Bay  are  the  thriving 
villages  of  Green°Bay,  Navarino,  and  Depere.  The  former  has  a  fine  harbour 
and  is  a  place  of  considerable  business. 

The  principal  settlement*  on  the  Mississippi,  are  Prairie  du  Chien,  Cassville 

&c. ;  the  former  is  about  five  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  river:  i 

is  situated  on  a  beautiful  prairie,  and  has  been  long  inhabited,  mostly  by  Frencl 

j  traders  and  their  descendants,  half-breeds,  &c.     Cassville  is  some  distance  south 

1  of  the  Wisconsin  river;  Belmont,  Mineral  Point,  and  Dou^geville  are  at  various 

distances  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  between  it  and  Lake  Michigan:  they  are 

situated- in  a  rich  mining  district. 

Madison,  the  capital  of  Wisconsin,  is  situated  between  the  3d  and  4th  lakes 
of  the  chain  called  the  Four  Lakes,  and  on  a  branch  of  the  Rock  river.  It  was 
laid  out  in  1837,  and  contained,  in  1840,  about  70  houses  and  376  inhabitants 
The  most  important  public  building  is  the  capital,  a  fine  stone  edifice  built  at  the 
expense  of  the  General  Government:  it  may  be  seen  from  a  distance  of  10  miles 


UNITED  STATES. 


D  every  direction.  Milwaukie,  on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Michigan,  is  the  most 
important  town  in  the  territory  ;  it  is  a  place  of  considerable  trade,  and  has  the 
best  harbour  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake  between  Chicago  and  Green  Bay. 
Population,  in  1842,  2800. 

The  aborigines  in  Wisconsin  are  the  Chippeways,  Mennomonies,  and  Stock- 
bridge  Indians  :  the  latter,  from  New  York,  are  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Green 
Bay.  Among  these  tribes,  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  has  a  num 
ber  of  missionaries  in  different  parts  of  the  territory. 


WESTERN    OR   INDIAN   TERRITORY. 

THE  Western  or  Indian  Territory  is  the  country  assigned  by  the  government 
of  the  United  States  for  the  future  residence  of  the  Indians  who  have  emigrated 
from  the  eastern  part  of  the  Union.  It  is  about  600  miles  in  extent  from  north  to 
south  in  the  eastern,  and  in  the  western  part  about  300 ;  and  from  east  to  west, 
immediately  beyond  Arkansas,  it  is  about  320 ;  but,  westward  of  the  central  and 
northern  parts  of  Missouri,  it  is  full  600  miles  in  breadth.  It  contains  an  area  of 
about  240,000  square  miles. 

A  belt  of  about  200  miles  of  this  region,  adjoining  Arkansas  and  Missouri,  is 
favourable  for  settlement :  the  soil  is  generally  fertile,  and  it  is  watered  by  nu 
merous  rivers,  none  of  which,  however,  are  suitable  for  navigation.  The  chief 
streams  are  the  Red,  Arkansas,  Kansas,  Platte,  and  Mississippi  rivers.  The 
country,  in  its  general  character,  is  high  and  undulating,  rather  level  than  hilly. 

The  atmosphere  is  salubrious,  and  the  climate  precisely  such  as  is  desired; 
being  about  the  same  as  that  inhabited  by  the  Indians  to  the  east  of  the  Missis 
sippi.  It  contains  coal,  some  lead  and  iron  ore,  and  many  saline  springs,  suitable 
for  manufacturing  salt.  The  most  serious  defect  is  a  want  of  timber ;  but  it  is 
one  which  time  will  remedy,  as  has  been  demonstrated  by  the  rapid  growth  of 
timber  in  prairie  countries  which  have  been  settled  ;  where  the  grazing  of  stock, 
by  diminishing  the  quantity  of  grass,  renders  the  annual  fires  less  destructive  to 
the  growth  of  wood :  the  prairies  are  covered  with  grass,  much  of  which  is  of 
suitable  length  for  the  scythe.  This  country  will  produce,  it  is  believed,  all  the 
varieties  of  grain,  vegetables,  and  agricultural  products,  which  are  raised  in  the 
States  of  the  same  latitude  east  of  the  Mississippi.  It  is  also  admirably  adapted 
for  the  raising  of  domestic  animals  of  every  description. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1844,  the  population  of  the  Western  Territory  amounted 
to  94,527  Indians,  three-fourths  of  whom  have  emigrated  from  the  States  east  ol 
the  Mississippi  river.  The  remainder  appertain  to  tribes  long  resident  in  this 
region.  The  numbers  belonging  to  each  class  and  tribe  respectively  are  as  follows : 

INDIGENOUS   TRIBES.  EMIGRANT   TRIBES. 

Senecas  arid    Shawa- 

nees. 211 

Weas 176 

Peorias  and    Kaskas- 

kias 150 

Senecas ]25 

Piankeshaws 98 

Total  72,265 


Pawnees 12,500 

Osages 4,112 

Kansas 1,700 

Omahas 1,400 

Otoes  and  Missouries  950 

Puncahs 800 

Quapaws . .  400 


,Total  21,862 


Cherokees 25.9]  1 

Creeks 24,594 

Choetaws 12,410 

Florida  or  Seminole  Ind.    4,111 
Chippewas.Ottawas,  and 

Pottawatomies . . .     2,098 

Delawares 1,059 

Shawanees 887 

Kickapoos. 505 


In  addition  to  the  above,  there  are  21,587  Indians,  of  various  tribes,  now  eas 
of  the  Mississippi,  under  treaty  stipulations  to  remove  west  of  that  stream :  many 
of  them  are  making  preparations  for  that  purpose  ;  and  the  whole,  no  doubt,  will 
in  a  few  years,  be  permanently  settled  in  the  territory  assigned  them. 

The  Choetaws,  Creeks,  and  Cherokees,  are  the  most  advanced  towards 
civilization  of  any  of  the  foregoing  tribes.  They  have  generally  good  houses, 
well-fenced  and  well-tilled  fields,  and  own  horses  and  cattle  to  a  considerable 
extent  •  they  have  also  native  mechanics  and  merchants.  They  carry  on 
spinning  and  weaving,  and  have  some  saw  and  grist-mills  and  cotton-gins.  They 
have  adopted  an  improved  system  of  government :  the  Choetaws  and  Creeks 
have  a  written  constitution;  and  the  former  have  introduced  trial  by  jury. 


MISSOURI  TERRITORY.  93 


The  country  of  the  Choctaws,  or  Choctawland,  the  most  southern  in  this  Terri 
tory,  is  situated  between  the  Red  river  on  the  south,  and  the  Canadian  river  and 
the  Arkansas  north  :  it  is  320  miles  in  length,  and  from  65  to  110  in  breadth.  It 
is  divided  into  three  districts,  each  of  which  has  its  chief. 

The  Creek  country  is  north  of  Choctawland,  and  west  of  the  Neosho,  a  branch 
of  the  Arkansas :  it  is  about  two-thirds  the  area  of  Choctawland,  and  extends  to 
the  western  boundary  of  the  Territory.  The  government  is  administered  by  a 
general  council  of  the  nation,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  a  written  con 
stitution.  The  Cherokee  country  is  north  and  east  of  the  Creek  :  the  eastern 
part  extends  to  the  river  Arkansas,  and  also  to  the  west  boundary  of  the  State  of 
Arkansas;  this  tract  is  about  the  same  in  area  as  the  Creek  country.  The 
Cherokees  manufacture  salt  from  the  springs  on  the  Illinois  and  other  streams, 
and  own  a  large  number  of  horses  and  cattle. 

The  Osages  are  indigenous  natives*  and  a  portion  of  them  have  as  yet  made 
but  little  improvement  in  the  arts  of  civilization  :  some  of  them,  however,  parti 
cularly  a  band  on  the  Neosho,  have  tolerable  houses,  own  some  cattle,  and  have 
begun  to  use  the  plough. 

Adjoining  the  south-west  corner  of  Missouri,  and  extending  to  the  Neosho,  are 
the  Quapaws,  the  united  band  of  Senecas  and  Shawanees,  and  the  band  of 
Senecas  and  Mohawks.  Farther  north,  on  the  head- waters  of  the  Osage  river, 
are  the  small  bands  of  Piankeshaws,  Weas,  Kaskias,  and  Ottawas  ;  all  of  these 
have  made  some  progress  towards  civilization. 

On  the  south  bank  of  the  Kansas  river,  and  adjoining  the  State  of  Missouri, 
are  the  Shawanees  :  they  are  among  the  most  improved  of  the  Indian  tribes.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river  are  the  Delawares,  whose  condition  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  Shawanees.  The  Kansas,  an  indigenous  tribe,  inhabit  both  sides  of 
the  Kansas  river :  they  live  principally  by  the  chase.  The  Kickapoos  reside  on 
the  Missouri,  north  of  the  Delaware  country. 

The  Otoes,  between  the  Platte  and  the  Little  Nemahavv  ;  the  Omahas,  between 
the  Platte  and  the  Missouri,  the  Puncahs,  further  north-west,  and  the  Pawnees, 
on  the  northern  side  of  the  Platte,  further  west,  are  indigenous  tribes,  who  retain 
their  original  barbarous  habits  of  life,  with  little  or  no  change. 


MISSOURI   TERRITORY, 

MISSOURI  Territory  extends  from  north  to  south  about  520,  and  from  east  to  west 
600  miles,  and  contains  an  area  of  probably  300,000  square  miles;  it  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  British  possessions,  south  by  the  Western  or  Indian  Territory, 
east  by  Iowa,  and  west  by  Oregon. 

It  is  a  vast  wilderness,  thinly  inhabited  only  by  different  tribes  of  Indians, 
many  of  whom  appear  to  have  no  fixed  residence,  but  follow  the  migrations  of 
the  game  from  place  to  place. 

The  greater  part  of  this  region  has  been  but  partially  explored.  It  consists  of 
vast  prairies,  fringed  along  the  lower  courses  of  the  rivers  with  patches  of  wood 
land.  A  large  portion  of  it  may  be  likened  to  the  great  steppes  of  Central  Asia. 
There  is,  however,  in  the  most  sterile  parts  a  thin  sward  of  grass  and  herbage  : 
droves  of  buffalo,  elk,  and  deer,  range  upon  these  vast  prairies.  They  will,  per 
haps,  at  some  future  period,  be  replaced  by  herds  of  domestic  cattle,  and  flocks 
of  sheep,  followed  by  moving  bands  of  shepherds. 

West  of  these  plains,  the  Rocky  Mountains  rise  up  abruptly,  presenting  a  steep 
front  with  frowning  rocky  precipices,  and  having  their  summits  covered  with 
perpetual  snow.  The  only  elevation  in  the  great  plain,  which  stretches  from 
the  Missouri  river  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  is  the  Black  Hills,  a  spur  of  the 
former  range,  extending  to  the  north-east  about  400  miles,  and  separating  the  east 
ern  tributaries  of  the  Yellow-Stone  from  those  that  run  westward  into  the  Missouri. 

The  Missouri  is  the  principal  stream,  which,  with  its  tributaries,  drains  the 
whole  of  this  region.  The  Yellow-Stone  is  the  largest  of  its  upper  tributaries; 
it  rises  near  the  South  Pass,  and  flowing  generally  a  north-east  course  enters  the 
Missouri,  upwards  of  3000  miles  from  the  ocean.  Those  tributaries  entering  on 


94  UNITED  STATES. 


the  west  side  of  the  Missouri,  are  the  Cannonball,  Weterhoo,  Shienne,  Running- 
Water  river,  and  others. 

Our  knowledge  of  this  country  is  mostly  derived  from  the  accounts  of  Messrs. 
Lewis  and  Clark;  in  their  journey  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  these  enterprising  tra 
vellers  passed  their  first  winter  at  the  Mandan  towns,  1600  miles  above  St.  Louis, 
from  November,  1804,  until  the  following  April. 

The  Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri  consist  of  a  succession  of  cataracts,  the  whole 
descent  of  which  is  350  feet.  In  one  instance  the  entire  body  of  the  river  falls 
in  a  perpendicular  sheet  to  the  depth  of  87  feet.  The  place  where  the  Missouri 
passes  from  the  mountains,  called  the  Gates  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  displays  a 
stupendous  work  of  nature.  The  river  is  compressed  to  the  width  of  450  feet, 
between  perpendicular  roeks  1200  feet  in  height;  for  three  miles  there  is  but  one 
spot  where  a  man  can  find  footing  between  the  water  and  the  mountainous  preci 
pices.  About  100  miles  below  the  great  falls  in  the  Missouri  there  are  immense 
piles  of  rock,  300  feet  in  height,  presenting  the  appearance  of  an  artificial  wall ; 
they  are  nearly  perpendicular,  and  the  beholder  can  discern  amid  the  various 
forms  which  they  exhibit,  the  shapes  of  ruined  castles  and  other  edifices. 

The  principal  tribes  are  the  Pawnees  and  Ricarees,  Black  Feet,  &c. ;  most  of 
whom  are  nomadic  in  their  habits,  and  roam  from  place  to  place  in  quest  of  buffalo 
and  other  game. 


OREGON   TERRITORY. 

THIS  territory  extends  westward  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  from  42°  to  54°  40'  N.  latitude.  On  the  north  and  on  the  east,  as  far 
south  as  the  49°,  it  is  bounded  by  British  America,  and  southward  of  the  49°  on 
the  east  by  Missouri  Territory ;  south  by  Mexico,  and  west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean  : 
it  is  in  length  about  880  miles,  with  an  average  breadth  of  550 ;  area  about  450,000 
square  miles. 

Much  of  the  surface  of  the  country  is  broken  and  mountainous;  on  its  eastern 
boundary  it  is  traversed  by  the  Rocky  Mountains,  many  of  the  peaks  of  which 
are  estimated  at  from  12,000  to  18,000  feet  in  height.  Westward  of  these  moun 
tains  the  country  is  divided  into  three  belts  or  sections,  separated  from  each 
other  by  ranges  of  mountains  running  very  nearly  parallel  with  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  The  first  range,  which  is  about  250  miles  westward  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  is  the  Blue  Mountain  range.  The  second,  which  is  200  miles  farther 
west,  and  from  80  to  1 10  miles  from  the  coast,  is  the  Cascade  or  President  Range  ; 
its  highest  peaks  are  Mount  Jefferson,  Mount  Hood,  Mount  St.  Helen's,  Mount 
Rainier,  and  Mount  Baker;  some  of  these  are  from  12,000  to  14,000  feet  in  height 
above  the  sea. 

The  region  lying  between  the  Rocky  and  the  Blue  mountains  is  rocky,  broken 
and  barren;  stupendous  mountainous  spurs  traverse  it  in  all  directions,  affording 
but  little  level  ground,  and  in  its  most  elevated  parts  snow  lies  nearly  all  the 
year.  It  rarely  rains  here,  and  no  dew  falls.  The  second  or  middle  section  con 
sists,  for  the  most  part,  of  a  light  sandy  soil,  in  the  valleys  a  rich  alluvion,  and 
barren  on  the  hills.  The  third  section,  which  lies  along  the  coast,  is  well  adapted 
for  agriculture ;  most  parts  of  it  are  well  timbered  with  fir,  pine,  spruce,  oak, 
poplar,  maple,  &c.  Near-  the  coast  the  firs  grow  to  an  amazing  size,  trees  from 
200  to  280  feet  in  height,  and  from  20-  to  40  feet  in  circumference,  are  not  uncom 
mon;  and  a  tree  300  feet  high,  216  feet  from  the  ground  to  its  lowest  limbs,  and 
57  feet  in  circumference,  grew  some  years  since  near  Astoria.  This  section  of  the 
territory  is  also  well  adapted  for  the  raising  of  cattle;  they  subsist  in  good  condi 
tion  on  the  green  and  dried  grass,  which  is  abundant  throughout  the  year. 

The  climate  on  the  coast  of  the  Pacific  is  believed  to  be  milder  than  on  the 
same  parallels  of  latitude  on  the  Atlantic.  When  Lewis  and  Clark  left  this 
country  in  March,  the  prairies  were  in  blossom,  and  the  forwardness  of  the  sea 
son  seems  to  have  corresponded  with  that  of  North  Carolina  at  the  same  period. 

The  chief  rivers  of  Oregon  are  the  Columbia  and  its  branches.     This  noble 


OREGON  TERRITORY.  95 


stream  has  its  head  waters  near  those  of  the  Missouri,  and  collects  its  tribute  for 
a  wide  extent  along  the  western  dividing  ridges  of  the  Rocky  Monntains ;  its 
principal  tributaries  are  Lewis'  or  Saptin,  Clark's  or  Flathead,  Kootanie  or  Flat- 
bow,  Okonagan,  John  Day's,  Chutes  or  Falls,  and  Willamette  rivers  ;  the  valley 
of  the  last  contains  perhaps  the  best  land  in  Oregon,  and  produces  wheat  of  the 
first  quality ;  it  has,  for  some  time  past,  attracted  the  notice  of  emigrants.  The 
Columbia  is  navigable  from  the  falls  where  it  breaks  through  the  Cascade  range 
of  mountains  to  the  ocean,  for  vessels  drawing  12  feet  water,  at  its  lowest  stage, 
though  it  is  obstructed  by  numerous  sand-bars.  The  river  increases  in  width, 
in  the  last  twenty  miles  of  its  course,  and,  where  it  enters  the  ocean,  is  seven  miles. 
A  sand-bar  extends  from  Point  Ac'ams  to  Cape  Disappointment,  which  renders 
its  entrance  often  dangerous.  In  the  year  1841,  the  U.  S.  sloop  of  war  Pea 
cock,  belonging  to  the  exploring  expedition,  was  wrecked  here.  The  salmon  of 
the  Columbia  and  its  tributaries,  of  which  there  are  several  varieties,  are  very 
fine  ;  they  constitute  a  large  portion  of  the  food  of  the  natives. 

The  only  other  river  of  any  note  is  Frazer's,  or  Tacoutchee  Tesse,  which  flows 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains  into  the  Gulf  of  Georgia.  It  has  a  course  of  about 
700  miles.  Its  chief  tributaries  are  Thompson's  and  Stuart's  rivers ;  on  these 
streams  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  has  several  trading-houses  or  forts.  South 
of  the  Columbia  are  the  Umpqua  and  Klamet  rivers,  which  flow  into  the  Pacific 
Ocean  ;  the  latter  has  a  course  of  about  300  miles. 

Of  the  lakes  in  Oregon,  those  connected  with  the  Columbia  river,  and  its 
branches,  are  the  Flathead,  Kulluspelm,  Flatbow,  and  Okonagan.  The  prin 
cipal  of  those  which  unite  with  Frazer's  river  are  Stuart's,  Quaw,  St.  Fran9ois, 
Quesnell's,  Kamloops,  and  Soushwap. 

The  principal  islands  are  Vancouver's,  and  Washington,  or  Queen  Charlotte's. 
The  former  is  a  large  island,  being  near  300  miles  in  length,  and  from  40  to  75 
miles  wide;  it  is  separated,  on  the  south,  by  the  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca;  and,  on 
the  west,  by  the  Gulf  of  Georgia.  From  the  straits  before-mentioned  to  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  territory,  the  coast  is  indented  with  innumerable  bays 
and  inlets,  which  form  a  multitude  of  small  islands. 

Many  parts  of  Oregon  are  well  adapted  for  agricultural  purposes.  At  some 
of  the  trading  establishments  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  extensive  farms 
are  in  successful  operation.  At  Forts  Vancouver,  Colville,  and  Nisqually,  wheat, 
barley,  and  potatoes  of  excellent  quality  are  raised  in  abundance.  The  farm  al 
Vancouver  is  9  miles  square:  there  are  here  3000  head  of  cattle,  2500  sheep,  and 
300  brood  mares ;  100  cows  are  milked  daily. 

The  coasts  of  Oregon  Territory  were  first  explored  by  the  Spaniards,  who, 
however,  did  not  penetrate  into  the  interior.  In  1792,  Captain  Gray,  of  the  ship 
Columbia,  at  Boston,  entered  the  great  river  of  this  region;  and,  from  him,  it 
received  the  name  of  his  ship.  The  celebrated  navigator,  Captain  Vancouver, 
was  then  at  Nootka  Sound,  and  the  discovery  being  very  frankly  and  fortunately 
communicated  to  him,  he  sent  one  of  his  principal  officers  to  examine  the  channel, 
and,  in  his  narrative,  admits  the  fact ;  thus  placing  the  right  of  prior  discovery  in 
the  United  States,  beyond  dispute,  on  British  evidence.  In  1805  Messrs.  Lewis 
and  Clark  were  sent  out  by  the  United  States  government,  for  the  express  pur 
pose  of  exploring  this  country.  They  navigated  the  Missouri  to  its  source,  and 
crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains,  descended  the  Columbia  river  to  the  Pacific, 
and  spent  the  winter  on  its  shores  ;  they  returned  by  the  same  river  to  the  moun 
tains,  and  most  of  the  exact  information  that  we  have  of  the  country  is  from  them. 

To  this-  region,  therefore,  the  United  States  have  acquired  an  undoubted  title 
by  the  discovery  of  the  principal  river,  and  by  an  interior  exploration,  as  well  as 
by  the  Louisiana  treaty.  It  is,  however,  contested  by  Great  Britain,  who  claims 
not  that  the  title  is  in  her,  but  that  the  region  is  unappropriated,  and  open  to  the 
first  corner.  By  a  convention  concluded  in  1818,  to  last  12  years,  it  was  agreed 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  that  neither  government  should 
take  possession  of  it,  or  occupy  it,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  other,  during  the  pe 
riod  of  the  convention,  which  either  party  might  renounce  upon  giving  twelve 
months'  notice.  I«  1827  this  convention  was  renewed  indefinitely,  or  to  cease  at 
the  option  of  the  contracting  parties. 

20*  2E 


UNITED  STATES. 


Several  attempts  were  made,  by  different  individuals  from  the  United  States, 
o  settle  in  this  territory.  In  1808  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  established  a 
rading-house  on  Lewis's  river,  the  first  ever  formed  on  any  of  the  waters  of  the 
Columbia.  In  1810  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  under  John  J.  Astor,  of  New  York, 
was  formed;  and  in  1811  Astoria  was  established  at  the  mouth  of  Columbia 
river.  In  consequence  of  the  exposure  of  this  post,  by  the  last  war  with  Great 
Britain,  it  was  sold  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company ;  but  was  restored  to  its  origi 
nal  proprietors,  by  order  of  the  British  government,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  agree- 
,bly  to  the  first  articles  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent.  Within  the  last  few  years,  many 
migrants  from  the  United  States  have  taken  up  their  residence  in  this  region. 

Oregon  city,  a  town  of  200  or  300  inhabitants,  chiefly  Americans,  is  laid  out 
at  the  Falls  of  Willamette;  it  contains  already  several  stores  and  mills,  and  it 
.s  proposed  to  construct  a  canal  around  the  Falls.  A  government  and  legislature 
lave  been  organized  by  the  settlers  in  the  vicinity,  and  suitable  measures  adopted 
for  a  permanent  settlement. 

The  question  of  settling  Oregon  Territory,  and  organizing  a  government  for 
the  security  of  the  inhabitants,  has  been  more  than  once  debated  in  congress. 
Were  such  settlement  authorized,  and  rendered  secure  by  the  requisite  military 
establishments,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  would  immediately  receive  large 
accessions  of  settlers;  and  in  the  Sessions  of  1844,  '45,  a  bill  passed  the  House 
of  Representatives  for  that  purpose;  but  further  action  in  the  matter  was  deferred, 
until  the  twelve  months'  notice  of  an  intention  to  take  possession  of  the  territory 
s  given  to  Great  Britain,  according  to  the  terms  of  the  treaty. 

On  the  coast  of  this  territory,  north  of  Columbia  river,  are  the  countries,  denomi 
nated  by  British  navigators,  New  Georgia  and  New  Hanover ;  and  immediately 
north  of  the  northern  head-waters  of  the  Columbia,  and  west  of  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains,  is  New  Caledonia;  the  climate  of  which  is  severe  in  winter,  and  hot  in 
summer.  The  sdil  is  poor,  but  the  fur-bearing  animals  are  numerous. 

On  Frazer's  river  are  the  Takali  or  Carriers,  and  the  Atnahs  or  Soushwaps 
On  the  Columbia,  and  its  tributaries,  are  the  Kootanies,  Flatheads,  W7allawallas, 
Nezperces,  Shoshones  or  Snakes,  and  Boonacks.  Along  the  coast,  and  in  its 
vicinity,  are  the  Clalams,  Chickelees,  Nisquallis,  Cowlitz,  Chinnook,  Calla- 
puya,  Umpqua,  Klamet,  and  Shaste  Indians.  The  rest  of  the  population  con 
sists  of  American  emigrants,  perhaps  2500  or  3000  in  number;  Canadian  and 
half-breeds  800  or  1000,  besides  the  officers  and  servants  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  The  Indians  in  the  territory  are  estimated  at  from  20,000  to  40,000, 
in  number. 

On  Frazer's  river,  and  its  tributaries,  are  Forts  Langley,  Thompson,  Alexan 
dria,  and  George;  and  there  are  others  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  At  Fort 
Vancouver,  on  the  Columbia,  there  is  a  village  of  300  or  400  inhabitants ;  these 
comprise  the  labourers  and  servants  attached  to  the  fort,  with  their  Indian  wives 
and  slaves.  From  this  place  a  direct  trade  is  carried  on  with  the  Sandwich 
Islands  and  Great  Britain,  which  employs  several  vessels.  A  small  steam-boat 
plies  on  the  river  and  along  the  coast,  between  the  different  trading  posts. 

The  first  emigration  from  the  Atlantic  States,  for  the  purpose  of  occupying  any 
part  of  Oregon  Territory,  was  made  in  1832;  since  that  period,  the  number  ol 
annual  emigrants  has  considerably  increased.  The  exploration  of  the  South  Pass, 
by  Lieutenant  Fremont,  of  the  U.  S.  army,  has  rendered  the  business  of  crossing 
the  mountains  comparatively  safe  and  easy.  This  pass  is  in  40°  SO7  north  lati 
tude,  at  the  head  of  the  Sweet  Water  branch  of  Platte  river ;  it  is  of  smooth  and 
easy  ascent  and  descent,  and  can  be  travelled  in  wagons  without  any  difficulty. 
Emigrants  from  the  United  States  generally  unite  for  the  sake  of  mutual  safety 
against  the  Indians,  in  considerable  parties,  with  horses  and  light  wagons ;  they 
proceed  from  Independence,  or  some  other  town  in  western  Missouri,  in  a  north 
western  direction,  to  the  Platte  or  Nebraska  river,  ascending  that  stream  by  its 
north  branch  and  the  Sweet  Water  river.  They  cross  the  mountains  by  the  South 
Pass,  to  Lewis's  river;  thence  they  proceed  to  Fort  Wallawalla;  then  down  the 
banks  of  the  Columbia  to  Willamette.  The  distance  from  Independence  is  be 
tween  1700  and  1800  miles,  and  may  be  accomplished,  by  moderate  travelling, 
in  about  18  or  20  weeks. 


TEXAS,  97 


STATE  OF  TEXAS. 

THE  late  Republic  of  Texas  formed,  from  the  year  1836  until  1845,  an  inde 
pendent  State;  but  it  is  now  annexed  to  the  United  States.  Previous  to  the  first 
mentioned  period,  it  comprised  an  integral  portion  of  Mexico,  and  formed  in  con 
junction  with  Cohahuila,  one  of  the  States  of  that  confederacy. 

It  extends  north  and  south  from  the  Arkansas  and  Red  rivers  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico ;  and  east  and  west  from  the  Sabine  to  the  Rio  del  Norte ;  area  of  Texas 
as  defined  by  an  act  of  her  Congress,  324,018  square  miles,  or  about  seven  times 
the  surface  of  Pennsylvania. 

Texas  possesses  a  soil  of  great  fertility,  and  a  geographical  position  highly 
favourable  to  commercial  intercourse  with  the  United  States,  as  well  as  with  other 
parts  of  the  world.  The  sea-coast  is  400  miles  in  length,  and  affords  by  means 
of  its  numerous  rivers,  communication  at  a  number  of  points  with  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  face  of 'the  country  is  generally  level,  and  a  great  portion  of  it 
consists  of  immense- prairies,  the  soil  of  which  is  a  deep  black  mould  mixed  with 
sand  ;  the  bottom  lands  on  many  of  the  rivers  are  of  a  rich  red  texture  of  great 
depth,  and  well  timbered  with  cotton-wood,  walnut,  cedar,  &c. 

The  country  along  the  coast  is  low,  but  free  from  swamps  and  composed  of 
good  arable  prairie,  interspersed  with  well-wooded  river  bottoms,  and  fine  pasture 
lands.  Until  the  late  emigrations  from  the  United  States,  this  section  was  filled 
with  immense  droves  of  mustangs,  or  wild  horses  and  wild  cattle ;  but  their 
numbers  are  now  considerably  lessened.  In  the  south-west  the  country  is  elevated, 
being  traversed  by  a  range  of  mountains  extending  northward  from  the  head  waters 
of  the  Nueces,  and  westward  of  the  sources  of  the  Brazos,  Colorado,  &c.  To 
the  west  and  north  are  vast  prairies,  in  which  immense  herds  'of  buffalo  supply 
the  mounted  Comanches  with  abundance  of  game.  In  the  north-east,  the  country 
is  more  undulating  and  better  wooded. 

The  climate  of  Texas  is  mild  and  agreeable ;  and,  as  the  country  is  free  from 
swamps,  and  as  the  wooded  tracts  are  quite  open  and  destitute  of  underwood,  is 
more  healthful  than  the  corresponding  sections  of  the  United  States.  The  seasons 
are  two;  the  dry,  from  April  to  September;  and  the  wet,  which  prevails  during 
the  rest  of  the  year  :  the  cold  is  pretty  severe  for  a  short  time  in  December  and 
January. 

The  rivers  are  numerous,'but  none  are  of  much  importance  for  navigation,  being 
in  the  dry  season  extremely  low,  and  during  the  floods  a  good  deal  impeded  with 
floating  timber.  The  Rio  del  Norte,  which  forms  the  western  boundary  of  Texas, 
is  the  largest  river;  it  has  a  course  of  from  1500  to  1800  miles;  it  is  much  im 
peded  by  rapids,  and  can  be  forded  in  nearly  all  parts  of  its  course,  except  for  a 
distance  of  about  200  miles  from  its  mouth.  T,he  Sabine,  Neches,  and  Trinity 
rivers  are  respectively  350,  300,  and  410  miles  in  length;  they  are  all  navigable 
to  a  certain  extent  during  a  part  of  the  year.  The  river  Brazos  is  considered  the 
best  navigable  stream  in  Texas;  vessels  drawing  six  feet  water  can  ascend  it  to 
Brazoria ;  and  steamboats  of  light  draught  to  San  Felipe  de  Austin,  90  miles 
higher.  The  Rio  Colorado  rises  in  the  high  prairies  east  of  the  Puerco  river; 
and,  after  a  course  of  500  miles,  flows  into  Matagorda  bay.  About  12  miles  above 
its  mouth  the  navigation  is  obstructed  by  a  raft  of  a  mile  in  extent :  beyond  this 
light  vessels  may  ascend  it  200  miles*  The  La  Baca,  Guadaloupe,  San' Antonio, 
and  river  Nueces,  are  more  or  less  navigable  part  of  the  year;  they  are,  however, 
but  imperfectly  known. 

The  surface  of  Texas  is  in  most  parts  covered  with  luxuriant  native  grasses 
affording  excellent  pasturage;  it  has  also  an  ample  supply  of  timber.  Live  oak 
is  abundant,  white,  black,  and  post  oak,  ash,  elm,  hickory,  musquite,  walnut, 
sycamore  hois  d'arc,  so  called  from  the  Indians  using  it  to  make  their  bows, 
cypress,  &c.,  are  among  the  common  trees,  and  the  mountainous  parts  in  the  south 
east  abound  with  pine  and  cedar  of  fine  quality.  Among  the  natural  curiosities 
of  the  country,  is  the  "Cross  Timbers,"  a  continuous  series  of  forests,  varying 
in  breadth  from  5  to  10  miles,  and  extending  in  a  direct  line  from  the  sources  o 

38 


8  UNITED  STATES. 


he  Trinity,  northward  t^  the  Arkansas  river.  It  appears  at  a  distance  like  an 
mmense  wall  of  wood ;  and  from  the  west  such  is  its  linear  regularity,  that  it 
ooks  as  if  it  were  planted  by  art.  It  forms  the  great  boundary  of  the  western 
prairies. 

Texas  is  amply  supplied  with  fruits  and  garden  products.  The  climate  of  the 
owlands  is  too  warm  for  the  apple,  but  almost  every  other  fruit  of  temperate 
climes  comes  to  perfection.  Peaches,  melons,  figs,  oranges,  lemons,  pine-apples, 
dates,  olives,  &c.,  may  be  grown  in  different  localities.  Grapes  are  abundant, 
and  very  tolerable  wine  has  been  made  from  some  kinds ;  vanilla,  indigo,  sarsa- 
parilla,  and  a  great  variety  of  dyeing  and  medicinal  shrubs  and  plants  are  indige 
nous,  and  on  all  the  river  bottoms  is  an  undergrowth  of  cane,  so  thick  as  to  be 
almost  impervious.  Along  the  water-courses  also  and  near  the  sea,  the  larger 
trees  are  sometimes  wreathed  with  Spanish  rnoss,  which  serves  both  for  fodder, 
and  for  the  manufacture  of  cheap  bedding,  &c.  The  flora  of  Texas  is  particularly 
rich  and  copious. 

Cotton  is  the  great  agricultural  staple  of  the  state,  and  it  is  affirmed  to  be  de 
cidedly  superior  as  a  cotton  growing  country,  to  the  best  districts  in  other  parts  of 
the  Union.  Some  cotton  growing  lands  yield,  it  is  said,  from  1£  to  2  bales  of 
clean  cotton  per  acre.  Its  cultivation  hitherto  has  been  principally  on  the  Brazos 
and  Colorado,  Red  and  Trinity  rivers,  and  Caney  creek;  but  it  is  steadily  on  the 
advance.  Cotton  planting  begins  in  February,  and  picking  in  June. 

The  grains  chiefly  cultivated  are  corn  and  wheat:  the  average  crop  of  the  former 
on  good  ground,  is  from  50  to  60  bushels  per  acre :  two  crops  may  be  gathered  in 
the  year,  the  first  being  usually  planted  in  February,  and  the  second  late  in  June. 
Wheat  has  been  cut  in  May,  and  the  same  land  has  yielded  a  good  crop  of  corn 
in  October;  rye,  barley,  oats,  &c.,  are  suited  for  the  upper  country,  and  rice  near 
the  river  estuaries ;  but  small  quantities  only  of  these  grains  have  hitherto  been 
raised.  The  sugar-cane  is  also  said  to  attain  to  greater  perfection  than  on  the 
Mississippi,  and  an  average  of  3000  pounds  to  the  acre  has  in  some  cases  been 
attained.  Tobacco,  the  mulberry  tree,  and  potatoes,  both  common  and  sweet, 
grow  well. 

The  raising  of  live  stock  is  the  principal  and  favourite  occupation  of  the  Texans, 
and  man)'  of  the  prairies  are  covered  with  a  valuable  breed  of  oxen,  which  thrive 
well  with  but  little  attention.  Profitable  trade  in  cattle  is  opened  with  New 
Orleans,  and  hides,  horns,  and  tallow,  are  beginning  to  be  exported  to  Europe. 
The  rearing  of  horses  and  mules  is  also  extensively  pursued;  sheep  thrive  on 
the  upper  lands,  but  require  folding ;  hogs  are  plentiful,  and  large  quantities  of 
pork  are  raised.  Vast  herds  of  buffaloes  and  wild  horses  wander  over  the  prairies, 
and  deer  are  every  where  abundant ;  bears,  cougars,  panthers,  peccaries,  wolves, 
foxes,  raccoons,  &c.,  are  common,  and  many  of  the  planters  keep  packs  of  large 
and  powerful  dogs  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  their  herds  and  flocks.  Most  of 
the  birds  known  in  the  other  parts  of  the  United  States  are  common  to  Texas;  and 
the  bays,  &c.,  abound  in  fish  of  excellent  quality,  beds  of  fine  oysters,  and  other 
testacea.  Alligators  are  sometimes  met  with  in  the  rivers,  particularly  Red  river 
and  its  tributaries;  turtles,  &c.,  in  the  estuaries.  There  are  several  kinds  of 
venomous  serpents,  and  as  in  all  other  warm  countries,  musquitoes  and  other 
insect  annoyances  are  common. 

The  modes  of  husbandry  in  Texas  are  of  the  most  simple  description.  The 
first  object  of  the  farmer  after  building  a  small  and  temporary  log-cabin,  is  to 
enclose  a  sufficient  space  of  the  open  level  adjoining,  by  the  erection  of  a  rail- 
fence;  he  then  proceeds  to  break  up  the  land  with  a  light  plough,  which  is  usually 
drawn  by  oxen.  The  Texan  farmers  generally  content  themselves  with  one 
ploughing  previously  to  planting;  manuring  is  seldom  resorted  to;  the  seed  time 
for  some  cotton  and  most  other  crops  is  in  February  and  March  :  a  few  hoeings 
to  destroy  weeds,  to  thin  and  earth  up  the  young  plants,  is  all  that  is  required  on 
the  part  of  the  husbandman  to  bring  them  to  perfection. 

In  many  parts  of  the  rolling  prairie  region,  coal  of  a  superior  quality  and  iron 
ore  have  been  found,  and  it  has  been  supposed  that  beds  of  these  valuable  mine 
rals  extend  over  a  great  part  of  the  country.  Silver  mines  were  wrought  towards 
Santa  Fe  in  the  north-west,  till  the  works  were  destroyed  by  the  Comanches. 


TEXAS.  99 


Nitre  abounds  in  the  east,  salt  is  obtained  from  numerous  lakes  and  springs,  and 
bitumen  in  several  places ;  granite,  limestone,  gypsum,  slate,  &c.,  are  abundant, 
except  in  the  low  alluvial  region. 

The  principal  towns  in  Texas  are  Galveston,  Houston,  San  Augustin,  San 
Felipe,  Nacogdoches,  &c.  Galveston,  on  the  island  of  the  same  name,  is  the 
chief  commercial  town  :  its  trade  with  New  Orleans,  New  York,  and  other  east 
ern  ports  is  already  considerable,  as  well  as  with  Great  Britain.  The  population 
of  Galveston  is  from  5000  to  7000;  Houston  is  the  next  important  town,  and  has 
4500  inhabitants.  San  Augustine  and  San  Antonio,  or  Bexar,  have  each  a  popu 
lation  of  1500;  San  Felipe,  or  San  Felipe  de  Austin,  1000;  Nacogdoches  600; 
Washington,  Bastrop  and  Matagorda,  each  400 ;  Columbia  350.  The  towns  of 
La  Grange,  Brazoria,  Cincinnati,  Franklin,  Liberty,  Shelbyville  and  Jasper, 
range  in  amount  from  250  to  150  individuals ;  Santa  Fe,  with  6000  inhabitants, 
is  the  chief  town  in  New  Mexico:  though  within  the  bounds  assumed  by  the  Re 
public  of  Texas,  the  latter  never  acquired  possession  of  that  part  of  the  country. 
This  town  has  been,  since  1825,  the  chief  emporium  of  Northern  Mexico,  and 
in  it  the  traders  of  that  country  meet  those  of  the  United  States ;  the  former  pur 
chasing  the  manufactures  brought  by  the  latter  with  peltry  and  bullion,  so  that  a 
considerable  amount  of  specie  reaches  the  United  States  by  this  route.  The 
annual  value  of  the  trade  at  Santa  Fe  has  been  estimated,  in  its  most  flourishing 
period,  from  1834  to  1841,  at  from  2  million  to  3  million  dollars  since  the  last 
named  period ;  the  trade  was  suspended  for  a  time  by  the  Mexican  authorities, 
but  is  now  reviving.  Most  of  the  goods  for  their  trade  are  procured  in  Philadel 
phia;  they  are  then  transported  by  railway  and  canal  to  Pittsburg,  thence  shipped 
to  St.  Louis,  and  thence  to  a  point  on  the  Missouri  river,  in  the  vicinity  of  Inde 
pendence  :  from  the  latter  town  they  are  taken  in  wagons  840  miles,  to  their  place 
of  destination.  Part  of  the  route  is  through  a  country  so  infested  by  hostile  In 
dians,  that  the  United  States  government  have  usually  sent  an  escort  of  cavalry 
with  the  larger  caravans,  and  in  1839,  200  troops  were  sent  for  the  protection  of 
one  body  of  traders.  Austin,  a  small  town  of  400  inhabitants,  was  some  years 
since  laid  out  as  the  capital :  it  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Colorado  river,  200 
miles  from  the  sea ;  but  the  seat  of  government  was  for  a  time  recently  located  at 
Washington,  on  the  Brazos. 

Previous  to  1821,  the  only  places  occupied  by  a  white  population  were  the 
Spanish  posts  of  San  Antonio  de  Bexar,  Bahia,  or  Goliad,  and  Nacogdoches, 
comprising  in  all  about  3000  inhabitants.  Soon  after  that  time,  an  attempt  was 
made  to  establish  here  the  independent  republic  of  Fredonia;  but  the  Mexican 
constitution  attached  the  territory  to  the  province  of  Cohahuila,  forming  one  of 
the  united  provinces  a  State,  bearing  the  names  of  both.  In  consequence  of  the 
encouragement  held  out.  to  settlers,  there  was  a  great  influx  of  emigrants  into  the 
territory  from  the  United  States,  many  of  whom  carried  with  them  their  slaves. 
In  1832,  the  people  of  Texas  formed  for  themselves  a  separate  State  constitution, 
and  endeavoured  to  obtain  from  the  Mexican  Congress  an  admission  into  the  con 
federacy  as  an  independent  State.  This  being  refused,  a  state  of  things  ensued 
which  resulted  in  an  appeal  to  arms.  Texas  was  invaded  by  a  Mexican  army, 
headed  by  Santa  Anna,  the  President,  in  person.  At  first  the  overwhelming 
numerical  superiority  of  the  invaders  gave  them  some  advantages,  which  enabled 
them  to  exhibit  a  remarkable  ferocity  towards  their  prisoners,  several  hundreds 
of  whom  were  massacred  in  cold  blood.  But  this  was  soon  reversed  ;  and  at  the 
battle  of  San  Jacinto  the  Mexicans  were  utterly  routed,  and  their  President  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Texans.  In  March,  1836,  the  people  of  Texas  declared 
themselves  independent,  afterwards  formed  a  constitution  and  government,  and 
elected  a  chief  magistrate,  together  with  all  the  requisite  officials  and  appoint 
ments  of  a  sovereign  and  independent  power.  Texas  is  divided  into  three  great 
departments,  viz.  Nacogdoches  in  the  north,  Brazos  in  the  centre,  and  Bexar  in 
the  south.  Each  department  comprises  a  number  of  counties.  The  State  is  far 
ther  subdivided  into  seven  judicial  districts,  in  each  of  which  is  a  judge.  The 
judges  are  appointed  by  Congress,  and  hold  office  for  four  years.  The  salary  of 
the  chief  justice  is  5000  dollars,  and  of  the  district  judges  3000  dollars  each.  The 
Supreme  Court  sits  at  Austin  on  the  second  Monday  in  each  year,  The  Common 


LOO  UNITED  STATES. 


Law  of  England  was  adopted,  and  with  the  Acts  of  Congress  forms  the  law  of 
the  land. 

Texas  was  an  integral,  and  not  like  the  United  States,  a  federal  republic.  The 
President  was  elected  for  three  years,  and  was  not  again  eligible  for  a  similar 
term.  In  other  respects  the  constitution  generally  resembled  that  of  the  United 
States.  The  republic  was  recognized  by  the  United  States,  France,  England, 
and  some  other  nations ;  but  not  by  Mexico.  The  population  amounts  to  about 
300,000,  nearly  all  of  which  consists  of  Americans  from  the  United  States.  The 
slaves  amounted,  in  1843,  to  22,412.  The  military  force  was  composed  chiefly 
of  volunteer  troops  and  militia ;  the  navy  consisted  of  a  sloop  of  war,  two  brigs, 
and  an  armed  steamer,  several  schooners,  &c.  The  value  of  the  imports  of  Texas 
for  the  year  ending  July  31st,  1844,  fvas  $686,503  03.  Exports  for  the  same 
period,  $615,11934;  Net  duties,  $177,86185.  Direct  taxes  levied  in  1844, 
$50,79052;  the  public  debt  is  reported  (but  not  officially)  at  $8,169,000.  The 
number  of  votes  given  at  the  election  for  President  in  1844  was  12,752. 

The  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  United  States,  has  been  for  some  time  a  popular 
measure  in  both  countries;  it  has  been  strongly  advocated  by  many  of  the  most 
eminent  men  in  the  Union,  as  a  desirable  addition  to  our  territory,  and  as  affording 
the  means  of  extending  our  laws  and  institutions  over  a  part  of  the  continent  that 
would,  under  its  former  apathetic  possessors,  have  long  remained  a  comparative 
wilderness,  with  few  inhabitants  except  Indians.  During  the  session  of  1844, 
'45,  a  bill  passed  both  Houses  of  Congress  of  the  United  States,' providing  for 
mmediate  annexation.  The  government  of  Texas  was  somewhat  tardy  on  the 
subject ;  but  the  inhabitants  evinced  such  strong  feelings  in  its  favour,  that  the 
constituted  authorities  were  at  length  obliged  to  perfect  the  measure.  On  the  18th 
of  June,  1845,  the  Texan  congress  were  then  in  session  at  Washington,  on  the 
Brazos  river,  when  both  houses  unanimously  consented  to  the  terms  of  the  joint 
resolution  of  the  United  States,  providing  for  the  admission  of  Texas  as  one  of 
he  States  of  the  American  Union.  A  convention  of  delegates  of  the  people  of 
Texas  met  July  6th,  1845,  and  ratified  the  act  finally  ceding  the  Republic  to  the 
United  States.  In  the  United  States  Congress,  assembled  at  Washington  city, 
December,  1845,  a  constitution  for  the  government  of  Texas  was  submitted,  and 
adopted  by  a  vote  of  141  to  56  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  31  to  15  in 
the  Senate.  By  the  same  resolution  it  was  decided,  that  Texas  should  be  entitled 
to  two  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  until  the  next  census  of  the 
United  States.  Of  course,  Texas  has  two  Senators  also  in  the  national  councils. 
President  Polk,  in  his  annual  message,  thus  alludes  to  the  subject  of  annexation. 
"The  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  has  been  peacefully  extended  to  the  Del 
Norte,  and  this  in  despite  of  the  diplomatic  interference  of  European  monarchies." 
"  We  may  rejoice,"  says  he  further,  "  that  the  tranquil  and  pervading  influence 
of  the  American  principle  of  self-government,  was  sufficient  to  defeat  the  pur 
poses  of  British  and  French  interference,  and  that  the  almost  unanimous  voice  of 
the  people  of  Texas,  has  given  to  that  interference  a  peaceful  and  effectual  rebuke. 
From  this  example,  European  governments  may  learn  how  vain  diplomatic  arts 
and  intrigues  must  ever  prove  upon  this  continent,  against  that  system  of  self- 
government  which  seems  natural  to  our  soil,  and  which  will  ever  resist  foreign 
interference." 


CALIFORNIA. 

CALIFORNIA  is  one  of  the  chief  divisions  of  the  Mexican  Republic,  and  forms 
the  most  north-westerly  portion  of  its  territory :  it  is  an  extensive  region,  and 
stretches  along  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  from  latitude  22°  31',  to  42°  north, 
a  distance  of  1420  miles.  It  is  divided  into  two  provinces,  Upper  or  New,  and 
Lower  or  Old  California  :  the  former  is  the  most  northerly. 


CALIFORNIA.  101 


OLD  OR  LOWER  CALIFORNIA. — This  district  is  a  narrow  peninsula,  parallel  with 
the  continent :  it  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  and  on  the  east  by 
the  Gulf  of  California,  or  Vermillion  sea.  In  length  it  is  about  720  miles,  with 
an  average  breadth  of  50  miles,  area  30,000  square  miles.  It  enjoys  the  most 
beautiful  sky  in  the  world ;  but  the  soil  is  sandy  and  arid,  and  only  a  few  favoured 
spots  present  a  trace  of  vegetation.  There  are  about  7000  Spaniards  and  con 
verted  Indians,  and  4000  savages ;  and  it  is  not  supposed  that  the  population  can 
ever  be  much  greater.  The  missions  have  been  mostly  broken  up  since  the  revo 
lution.  Loreto,  once  a  place  of  some  note,  now  contains  about  250  inhabitants. 

This  part  of  America  has  been  long  noted  for  its  pearl  fisheries ;  it  is  still 
carried  on  along  the  coast,  but  is  less  important  than  it  was  formerly.  Sixteen 
or  eighteen  small  vessels  are  all  that  are  now  employed,  each  of  which,  in  favour 
able  seasons,  obtains  pearls  to  the  value  of  from  500  to  1000  dollars.  Pearls, 
tortoise  shells,  a  few  bullocks'  hides,  dried  beef,  dried  fruits,  cheese,  soap,  &c., 
constitute  all  the  exports  of  Lower  California,  which  are  sent  chiefly  to  San  Bias 
and  Matzalan,  in  small  coasting  vessels.  The  imports  are  provisions,  clothing, 
agricultural  and  domestic  utensils,  supplies  for  the  ceremonies  of  the  church,  and 
a  small  amount  of  the  ordinary  luxuries  of  life. 

This  country  was  discovered  by  Hernando  de  Grijalvo,  in  1534,  but  no  settle 
ment  was  made  by  the  Spaniards,  until  the  end  of  the  succeeding  century,  when 
a  few  Jesuits  established  themselves  here  with  a  view  of  converting  the  natives. 
They  founded  Loreto  and  other  small  settlements  as  missionary  stations,  instructed 
the  Indians  in  agriculture,  and  persuaded  many  of  them  to  adopt  settled  habita 
tions  ;  but  this  civilization  has  taken  no  real  root,  and  the  Aborigines  appear  to 
be  rapidly  diminishing:  about  one-half  the  natives  of  Lower  California  have 
been  nominally  converted  to  Christianity. 

UPPER  CALIFORNIA. — This  part  of  Mexico  was  declared  independent  in  1845. 
It  has  of  late  attracted  much  attention  in  the  United  States ;  a  number  of  Ame 
rican  citizens  are  already  settled  in  it,  and  many  others  are  preparing  to  emigrate 
thither.  It  extends  from  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  the  Anahuac  mountains,  and  from 
the  42°  of  N.  lat.  to  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  California.  On  the  north  it  is 
bounded  by  Oregon,  on  the  south  by  Old  California  and  the  province  of  Sonora. 
Its  extent  from  north  to  south  is  about  700,  and  from  east  to  west  from  600  to  800 
miles,  with  an  area  of  about  420,000  square  miles. 

The  largest  river  of  Upper  California  is  the  Colorado  or  Red  river,  so  called 
from  the  colour  of  its  waters;  it  has  a  course  of  about  1000  miles.  The  region 
through  which  it  flbws  is  almost  unknown,  being  still  in  possession  of  the  native 
tribes,  and  has  been  but  little  explored.  Green  and  Grand  rivers,  its  largest  upper 
tributaries,  both  rise  within  the  United  States,  the  first  at  the  foot  of  Fremont's, 
and  the  other  at  the  western  base  of  Long's  Peak.  Its  lower  and  largest  branch, 
the  Gila,  is  a  considerable  river.  The  country  both  north  and  south  of  it,  for 
some  distance,  is  inhabited  by  numerous  Indian  tribes,  of  which  but  little  is  known 
except  their  names.  The  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin,  which  flow  into  San 
Francisco  bay,  have  respectively  about  400  and  300  miles  of  course.  They  water 
the  fine  valley  which  lies  between  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Coast  Range  Mountains. 
Their  banks  are  nearly  uninhabited,  except  by  some  Indians,  and  a  few  American 
families  on  the  Sacramento,  who  have  recently  removed  thither.  The  Tule  or 
Bulrush  lakes  join  the  head  waters  of  the  San  Joaquin ;  and  Mountain  lake,  dis 
covered  by  Captain  Fremont,  joins  the  Rio  de  los  Americanos,  a  branch  of  the 
Sacramento.  The  Buenaventura  river  flows  into  the  sea  at  Monterey.  The  other 
streams  along  the  Pacific  are  small;  they  are  sometimes  dried  up,  and  a  want  of 
water  is  occasionally  felt  in  various  quarters  below  the  coast  range.  Bear  river 
runs  into  the  great  Salt  Lake ;  Sevier  river,  a  recent  discovery,  rises  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Wahsatch  mountains,  and  flows  most  probably  into  the  Colorado. 

Of  the  lakes  of  Upper  California,  the  great  Salt  Lake,  near  its  north-eastern 
extremitv  ,s  the  largest.  It  is  probably  not  less  than  280  miles  in  circuit,  and 
has  no  Known  outlet ;  its  waters  are  salter  than  those  of  the  ocean.  The  Utah, 
a  smaller  and  fresh-water  lake,  flows  into  the  former  from  the  south :  its  name  is 
derived  from  the  adjacent  Utah  Indians.  These  two  lakes  are  doubtless  the  Tim- 
panogos  and  Buenaventura  lakes  of  the  old  Spanish  maps,  but  they  are  now  for 


102  CALIFORNIA. 


the  first  time  correctly  portrayed  by  Captain  Fremont,  on  the  map  of  his  late  ex 
ploration.  Mountain,  Pyramid,  and  Mud  lakes,  are  recent  discoveries  by  Captain 
Fremont,  and  are  all  imbedded  amongst  the  ridges  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  From 
the  surface  of  Pyramid  lake,  a  remarkable  rock,  nearly  as  regular  in  form  as  the 
famed  pyramids  of  Egypt,  rises  to  the  height  of  600  feet;  it  is  visible  many  miles 
distant,  and  from  it  the  lake  received  its  name.  The  Tule  lakes,  already  men 
tioned,  are  so  called  from  the  quantities  of  bulrushes  which  grow  on  their  banks. 
They  are  two  in  number :  the  lower  lake,  much  the  largest,  is  supposed  to  be 
about  80  miles  long,  and  from  12  to  15  broad.  These  lakes  are  formed  by  the 
mountain  streams  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Coast  Range ;  when  their  waters 
are  abundant  they  flow  into  the  San  Joaquin,  but  at  other  times  there  is  no 
connection.  . 

The  chief  mountains  of  Upper  California  on  the  eastern  frontier  are  the  Sierra 
Anahuac,  the  Sierra  los  Mimbres,  and  the  Sierra  Madre.  These  all  form  a  con 
tinuous  chain,  and  are  a  part  of  the  great  Rocky  Mountain  range.  They  separate 
the  waters  of  the  Colorado,  from  those  of  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte.  The  Bear 
river  and  Wahsatch  mountains  were  recently  explored  by  Captain  Fremont; 
they  are  both  of  considerable  elevation,  and  form  the  eastern  rim  of  the  Great 
Interior  Basin.  The  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Coast  Range  run  nearly  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  coast;  the  first  at  a  distance  from  the  Pacific,  varying  from  100  to  200 
miles,  and  the  other  at  from  40  to  60  miles.  The  va41ey  interposed  between  them 
is  the  finest  part  of  California;  it  is  not  less  than  500  miles  in  length,  and  from 
60  to  140  wide.  The  Sierra  Nevada,  or  Snowy  Range  of  California,  is  reported 
by  Captain  Fremont  to  be  of  greater  height  than  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  to  be 
all  the  time  covered  with  snow.  The  pass  by  which  that  intrepid  officer  crossed 
the  Sierra  was  9,338  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  mountains  on  either  hand  rose 
several  thousand  feet  higher.  The  Coast  Range  is  of  less  elevation  than  the 
Sierra  Nevada ;  some  of  its  peaks  are,  however,  covered  with  snow.  San  Ber- 
nardin  and  Mount  Shaste  are  the  highest. 

Nearly  the  whole  of  the  central  part  of  this  region,  extending  from  400  to  500 
miles  from  north  to  south,  and  about  the  same  from  east  to  west,  is  unexplored. 
It  is  called  the  "•  Great  Interior  Basin  of  California,"  and  is  enclosed  on  the  west 
by  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  on  the  east  by  the  Bear  river  and  the  Wahsatch  moun 
tains.  It  is  generally  represented  as  a  sandy  desert,  but  it  is  known  to  contain 
in  some  quarters  various  rivers  and  lakes,  none  of  whose  waters  reach  the  ocean. 
The  mountains  by  which  the  whole  is  surrounded  prevent  their  egress,  and  the 
surplus  is  no  doubt  absorbed  by  evaporation,  or  lost  in  the  sands  of  the  more  arid 
districts.  The  population  consists  of  a  few  wandering  savages,  who  live  chiefly 
on  insects  and  seeds,  and  on  the  roots  which  they  dig  out  of  the  earth ;  hence 
their  name  of  "  Diggers."  The  rabbit  is  the  largest  animal  known  here ;  it  sup 
plies  a  little  flesh,  and  its  skin  furnishes  the  scanty  raiment  of  the  almost  naked 
inhabitants.  The  wild  sage  is  the  only  wood ;  it  grows  of  large  size,  being  often 
a  foot  in  diameter  and  from  six  to  eight  feet  high.  It  serves  for  fuel,  for  building 
material,  for  shelter  to  the  rabbits,  and  for  some  sort  of  covering  for  the  feet  and 
legs  in  cold  weather. 

The  Pah-Utah  Indians,  whom  Captain  Fremont  encountered  on  the  southern 
edge  of  the  Great  Basin,  are  a  race  of  nearly  naked  savages,  armed  with  long 
bows  and  arrows ;  the  latter  are  barbed  with  a  kind  of  stone  almost  as  hard  as 
the  diamond,  and,  when  discharged  from  their  powerful  bows,  are  almost  as 
effective  as  a  gunshot.  They  followed  his  party  stealthily  like  a  band  of  wolves, 
and  at  length  killed  one  of  his  best  men  and  stole  several  of  his  animals.  In 
their  depredations  on  the  coast  settlements,  and  on  travellers,  all  the  horses,  mules, 
&c.,  that  they  capture,  are  immediately  driven  off  to  their  retreats  in  the  moun 
tains,  and  slaughtered  for  food. 

The  Utah  Indians,  who  reside  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Great  Salt  lal'e,  and  along 
the  head  waters  of  the  Colorado,  are  less  savage  in  their  habits,  having  had  some 
intercourse  with  the  traders,  and  with  the  people  of  New  Mexico.  Many  of  them 
are  well  mounted,  and  have  good  rifles ;  they  also  commit  depredations  at  times 
on  the  whites,  and  especially  on  the  annual  caravan  that  passes  along  the  great 
Spanish  trace  from  California  to  Santa  Fe. 


CALIFORNIA.  103 


Wild  animals  are  in  some  parts  of  upper  California  very  numerous.  Captain 
Fremont  encountered,  in  his  late  journey  through  the  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin, 
large  droves  of  elk  and  wild  horses,  also  wolves  and  antelopes.  The  grizzly 
bear  is  met  with  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  in  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  buffalo, 
panther  or  American  tiger,  deer,  and  several  other  species  of  animals  are  common. 
Otters  and  beavers  abound  in  many  of  the  streams.  The  latter,  having  been  much 
sought  after  for  their  skins,  are  less  numerous  than  formerly.  The  rabbit  is  re 
ported  as  the  only  animal  to  be  found  in  the  Great  Basin. 

The  wealth  of  California  consists  of  live  stock.  The  chief  articles  of  export 
are  hides  and  tallow :  about  150,000  of  the  former,  and  200,000  arrobas  of  the 
latter  are  exported  annually.  About  2000  beaver,  3000  elk  and  deer,  and  400  or 
500  sea-otter  skins,  the  latter  worth  30  dollars  a-piece,  are  also  exported ;  besides 
which,  about  12,000  bushels  of  wheat  are  shipped  annually  to  the  Russian  set 
tlements  on  the  Northwest  Coast. 

The  wheat  is  of  excellent  quality;  and,  except  in  years  when  drought  prevails, 
the  product  is  very  abundant.  Indian  corn  yields  well,  also  potatoes,  beans,  peas, 
&c.  The  soil  is  well  adapted  for  grapes ;  from  3000  to  4000  gallons  of  wine  are 
made,  and  about  the  same  amount  of  brandy ;  this,  however,  is  quite  insufficient 
for  the  supply  of  the  country,  and  large  amounts  of  foreign  wines  and  liquors  are 
imported.  Besides  cattle,  sheep,  horses,  mules,  goats,  and  swine  abound.  The 
mutton  is  of  fine  flavour,  but  the  wool  is  inferior,  as  no  attention  is  paid  to  that 
kind  of  stock. 

At  the  missions,  coarse  blankets  and  wearing  apparel  for  the  Indians  are  manu 
factured,  besides  a  small  amount  of  soap  and  leather.  There  are  in  the  country 
only  two  or  three  water-mills  for  grinding  wheat,  which  are  owned  by  Americans. 

The  number  of  aborigines  is  estimated  at  15,000.  One-half  of  these  are  con 
verted  Indians,  the  remainder  reside  mostly  on  the  Sacramento  river.  The  whites 
are  estimated  at  about  5000,  with  2000  more  of  mixed  blood;  making  the  whole 
population  of  Upper  California  about  22,000  souls.  The  health  and  robustness 
of  the  white  inhabitants  seem  remarkable,  and  must  be  attributed  to  the  fine  cli 
mate,  as  well  as  to  their  simple  diet :  this  consists  of  beef  roasted  upon  the  coals, 
a  few  vegetables,  and  the  tortilla,  which  is  a  thin  cake  made  of  corn  meal,  and 
baked  upon  a  sheet  of  iron.  Throughout  the  country,  both  with  the  rich  and  poor, 
this  is  the  general  fare;  a  few  luxuries  have  been  lately  introduced.  The  chil 
dren  are,  for  the  most  part,  left  to  the  care  of  themselves,  and  run  about  naked 
and  dirty.  They  are  generally  robust,  and  their  relative  number  seems  to  be 
great ;  thus,  it  is  by  no  means  uncommon  to  see  families  of  fourteen  or  fifteen 
children.  A  large  number  die  from  accidental  falls  from  horses,  with  which,  from 
their  earliest  childhood,  they  are  accustomed  to  be  engaged.  They  early  become 
expert  and  fearless  riders,  and  this  skill  is  not  confined  altogether  to  the  male  sex; 
the  women  are  almost  equally  expert.  Families  with  numerous  members  are  sel 
dom  met  with,  who  have  not  had  to  mourn  the  loss  of  several  of  their  number 
from  casualties  of  this  sort. 

Although  the  Californians  are  comparatively  few  in  number,  yet  they  have  a 
distinctive  character.  Descended  from  the  old  Spaniards,  they  are  unfortunately 
found  to  have  all  their  vices,  without  a  proper  share  of  their  virtues ;  they  are 
exceedingly  fond  of  gambling,  which  is  equally  in  favour  with  the  male  and 
female  portion  of  the  community.  Their  games  consist  in  cards,  dice,  &c. 

Their  amusements  are  cock-fighting,  bull  and  bear-baiting,  and  dancing;  these 
are  the  predominant  occupations  of  their  lives,  always  accompanied  with  •.  exces 
sive  drinking. 

The  female  portion  of  the  community  are  ignorant,  degraded,  and  the  slaves  of 
their  husbands.  They  are  very  fond  of  dress,  and  will  make  any  sacrifice  to 
gratify  it.  The  men  have  no  trades,  and  depend  for  every  thing  upon  the  con 
verted  Indians,  some  of  whom  are  quite  ingenious,  both  as  carpenters  and  black 
smiths.  The  whites  are  so  indolent,  and  withal  have  so  much  pride,  as  to  make 
them  look  upon  all  manual  labour  as  degrading.  In  truth,  they  regard  all  those 
who  work  as  beneath  them ;  they,  in  consequence,  can  never  be  induced  to  labour. 

The  Indians  of  Upper  California  are  indolent  and  pusillanimous,  and  destitute 
of  the  boldness  and  energy  displayed  by  many  of  the  aborigines  in  other  quar- 

21  2F 


104  CALIFORNIA. 


ters.  Excepting  those  that  have  been  converted  at  the  missions,  the  women  go 
nearly,  and  the  men  entirely  naked ;  and  they  are  all  extremely  filthy  in  their 
habits. 

The  missions  were  establishments  formed  by  the  Catholic  missionaries  for  the 
conversion  and  civilization  of  the  Indians :  some  were  converted  by  persuasive 
means,  and  others  by  force.  The  men  were  employed  in  tilling  the  ground,  or  in 
the  warehouses  and  laboratories  of  the  mission ;  the  women  were  engaged  in 
spinning,  grinding  corn,  and  other  domestic  labours.  All  were  fed  and  clothed 
by  the  friars,  to  whom  they  were  in  fact  slaves,  and  were  not  allowed  to  leave  the 
missions.  In  1831  their  number  was  about  18,000.  The  missions  consist  of  a 
cluster  of  small  houses,  usually  built  in  a  square,  with  a  territory  of  about  15 
square  miles  each,  free  from  government  taxes,  and  each  subordinate  to  a  Fran 
ciscan  friar,  termed  a  prefect. 

The  towns  of  this  country  are  all  small.  Monterey,  the  capital,  has  only  300 
inhabitants  ;  San  Diego,  and  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles,  the  two  largest  towns,  have 
each  a  population  of  from  800  to  1000 ;  Santa  Barbara  and  San  Francisco  are  the 
next  important.  The  latter  is  on  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  and  has  the  finest 
harbour  on  the  coast;  it  affords  perfect  security  to  ships  of  any  burthen,  with 
plentiful  supplies  of  fresh  beef,  vegetables,  wood,  and  water.  It  is  much  visited 
by  American  whalers  and  other  vessels.  The  river  which  flows  into  this  bay 
waters  the  finest  portion  of  Upper  California,  and  it  is  to  this  quarter  that  the 
attention  of  American  emigrants  is  directed. 

Nueva  Helvetia  is  the  nucleus  of  a  new  American  settlement  formed  in  1838-39 
by  Captain  Sutler,  a  citizen  of  Missouri,  who  obtained  a  grant  of  land  from  the 
Mexican  government.  It  is  about  50  miles  above  San  Francisco  bay,  near  the 
junction  of  the  Sacramento  with  the  Rio  de  los  Americanos,  and  consists  chiefly 
of  a  fort  built  of  adobes  or  sun-dried  bricks,  mounting  12  pieces  of  cannon ;  in 
the  interior  are  the  dwellings  and  work-shops.  About  30  white  men  and  40  In 
dians  are  employed  by  Captain  Sutler,  and  are  mostly  engaged  in  agriculture. 
Large  quantities  of  excellent  wheat  are  raised,  much  of  which  is  shipped  to  the 
North  West  seltlements,  in  vessels  belonging  to  the  proprietor.  Nueva  Helvetia 
is  at  a  considerable  distance  from  any  other  settlement,  and  much  energy  and 
industry  have  been  manifested  in  its  establishment.  Several  American  families 
reside  in  the  vicinity. 

This  country  was  in  part  discovered  by  Cabrillo,  a  Spanish  navigator,  in  1542; 
and  its  northern  part,  called  New  Albion,  by  Sir  Francis  Drake,  in  1578.  In 
1768  it  was  first  colonized  by  the  Spaniards,  and,  until  after  the  revolution  in 
Mexico,  formed  a  province  of  that  country.  In  November,  1836,  the  people  of 
Monterey  and  its  vicinity  rose,  attacked  and  subdued  the  garrison,  expelled  the 
Mexican  functionaries  and  troops,  declared  California  independent,  and  established 
a  congress  of  deputies  for  its  future  government.  It  returned  afterwards  to  Mexi 
can  authority ;  but  in  1845  the  people  again  proclaimed  their  independence.  In 
October,  1842,  Monterey  was  captured  by  an  American  squadron  under  the  com 
mand  of  Commodore  Jones,  under  the  belief  that  war  existed  between  Mexico 
and  the  United  States.  After  being  held  two  or  three  days,  the  town  was  restored 
to  the  Mexicans. 


